What is the gold standard experimental study in medicine for ...

[kwoodring]

What is the gold standard experimental study in medicine for determining causal relationships?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Are cross-sectional and longitudinal studies good for establishing causality? Explain.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[joshbk44]

Answer to Question 1

The gold standard experimental study in medicine for determining causal relationships is called a randomized controlled trial because participants are randomly assigned to groups and then the group that receives the intervention being tested (e.g., exercise) is compared to control groups. A randomized controlled trial has high internal validity because it is good at discerning causal relationships.

Answer to Question 2

Cross-sectional studies are good for establishing that A and B are correlated, for example that sedentary behavior and heart disease are related. Longitudinal studies are good for establishing that A precedes B in time. For example, that the participants in the study were sedentary before they developed heart disease. Good longitudinal (prospective) observational studies can even statistically rule out other potential C variables.

[kwoodring]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[zacnyjessica]

TYSM