Kohortarrannsóknar

Kohortarrannsóknar refers to a type of longitudinal study that follows a group of individuals, known as a cohort, over a period of time to investigate the incidence of disease or other health-related outcomes. A cohort is defined by a shared characteristic or experience, such as exposure to a specific risk factor, a particular age group, or a shared birth year. Researchers observe this cohort and collect data on various factors, including potential exposures and outcomes. This allows them to identify associations between exposures and the development of diseases or health conditions.

There are two main types of cohort studies: prospective and retrospective. In a prospective cohort study, participants are recruited before any outcomes of interest have occurred, and they are followed forward in time. In a retrospective cohort study, the exposure and outcome have both already occurred, and researchers look back in time using existing records to reconstruct the cohort and analyze the data. Cohort studies are valuable for understanding the natural history of diseases, identifying risk factors, and assessing the effectiveness of interventions. However, they can be time-consuming and expensive, and may be subject to bias if participants are lost to follow-up.