1. Role of Research Question
Organizing principle for the entire study
Target population
Sample
Data collection method
Measures
Analysis
Forum for reporting the results

2. Types of Research Questions
Like research goals
Descriptive
Association
Causal

3. Descriptive How often…. How much… What number….. What percentage…..
Was there a change…
Has the incidence increased…
Who is affected…
When did it start…
Where is it concentrated…

4. Descriptive: Childhood Type 2 Diabetes
Has the incidence of type 2 diabetes increased in children?
Increased from 0.7 per 100,000 in 1982 to 7.2 per 100,000 in 1994 in Cincinnati, OH (Pinhas-Hamiel et al., 1996).
Who is affected?
Pima Indians in Arizona have an unusually high prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in childhood (Dabelea et al., 1998).

5. Association/Causal Association – risk factors Causal – direct causes
Collectively known as determinants

6. Example: Obesity as a Cause or Risk Factor
Are obese individuals more likely than those who are not obese to have cardiovascular disease (CVD)?
Study of firefighters showed that extremely obese subjects had an average of 2.1 risk factors for CVD compared to 1.5 for normal weight firefighters (Soteriades et al., 2005).
Is obesity associated with colorectal cancer?
Subjects with colorectal cancer had higher body mass indices (BMI) compared to those without cancer (Campbell et al., 2010).

7. Causal/Evaluation Evidence-based programs
If X causes or increases the risk for Y, then decreasing X should decrease Y.
Decreasing or preventing X is a deterrent for Y.
Types of questions:
Does Program Alpha have a desirable effect on X?
Is Program Alpha effective in preventing Y?

8. Example: Effect of Modest Weight Loss on Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
DPP -- Experimental Study of those at high risk for diabetes
Diet and exercise
Medication
Usual care
Outcome – Reduced incidence of diabetes

9. Sources for Research Questions
Everyday life
Practical issues in the field of study
Relevant research studies
Clinical practice
Theory

10. Questions from Everyday Life
Why do my daughter and her soccer teammates get so many concussions?
Is interactive screen time linked to incident ADHD?
Has the use of medication to treat ADHD in elementary school children increased in the past 10 years?

11. Questions from Issues in the Field of Study
Major questions that plague the field of public health.
What are the causes of the increasing prevalence of obesity in the U.S.? Diabetes in the U.S.?
What is an effective vaccine for HIV?
What is an effective cure for infection with hepatitis C virus?

12. Relevant Research Studies
Results of studies on the topic of interest can guide the more specific focus of research questions and hypotheses.
Replicate the results to provide more support
Test in a different population
Measure exposure and outcome using different techniques – self report, biomarker, physical measurement
Example
Are residents of food desert areas (i.e., neighborhoods with no access to fresh produce) more likely than others to be obese?

13. Good Research Questions
Identify
Characteristics of the target population (e.g., gender, age, health problem, place of residence)
Study measures (e.g., exposure, outcome, risk factors)
Type of research goal (e.g., descriptive, association, causal, evaluation)
Does the frequency of receptive syringe sharing predict the incidence of hepatitis C seroconversion?

14. Key Study Components
Feasible – it must be possible to answer the question analytically (scientifically, time, resources)
Interesting – the question should generate interest among the consumers of the research
Novel – the question should add something new to the field of research
Ethical – procedures needed to answer the question must not compromise the protection of human subjects
Relevant – the question should address issues that are timely, have an impact on the study population, and make a contribution to the field of study

15. For This Class No Randomized Clinical Trials
No Secondary Data Analysis

16. Group Assignements Jennifer Dulin and Katherine McCollough
Christina Faulk and Amanda Jones
Carly Fecio and Scarlett C Johnson
Jeremy Pasteris and Chun-Che Wen
Nicholas Shungu and Ciera Jones
Phayvanh Sjogren, Megan Stover and Eden Mekonnen