Many studies have found that people who drink alcohol in moderation have lower r
ID: 3181283 • Letter: M
Question
Many studies have found that people who drink alcohol in moderation have lower risk of heart attacks than either nondrinkers or heavy drinkers. Does alcohol consumption also improve survival after a heart attack? One study followed 1913 people who were hospitalized after severe heart attacks. In the year before their heart attacks, 47% of these people did not drink, 36% drank moderately, and 17% drank heavily. After four years, fewer of the moderate drinkers had died.
(a) What type of study is this?
Observational study: prospective
Observational study: retrospective
Observational study: cross-sectional
Experiment: matched pairs design
Experiment: randomized block design
Experiment: completely randomized design
Explanation / Answer
Observational study: prospective
A prospective study follows over time a group of similar individuals who differ with respect to certain factors under study, to determine how these factors affect rates of a certain outcome.