College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMTBC) Practice Exam

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What type of study is a cohort study?

Cross-sectional study
Longitudinal study
Case-control study
Experimental study

The correct answer is: Longitudinal study

A cohort study is classified as a longitudinal study because it involves observing a group of individuals (the cohort) over an extended period to assess how certain exposures affect the development of outcomes or diseases. The key characteristic of a longitudinal study is that it collects data from the same subjects repeatedly over time, allowing researchers to detect changes and make inferences about causal relationships. In cohort studies, participants are followed from a point in time (when the study begins) into the future, tracking outcomes among those exposed to a particular factor compared to those not exposed. This design is particularly useful in studying the effects of risk factors or interventions while controlling for confounding variables. Other study types, such as cross-sectional studies, gather data at a single point in time and do not provide information on the temporal sequence of events. Case-control studies compare individuals with a specific outcome to those without, looking back in time to find exposure differences, which contrasts with how cohort studies operate. Experimental studies typically involve the manipulation of variables under controlled conditions to establish cause and effect, rather than simply observing a cohort over time.