General
Cross-sectional studies are suitable for determining the prevalence. In addition, they can be carried out very quickly and can investigate several endpoints. Cross-sectional studies are carried out by means of interviews or questionnaires. [1]
Goal
Cross-sectional studies are conducted to determine prevalence and to derive causal relationships. The prevalence represents the number of cases in a population at a given time. Subjects are evaluated at a given time to ensure causality. [1]
Execution
In order to conduct a cross-sectional study, research questions must be formulated. Subsequently, a sample population is selected to elaborate the research questions and the relevant variables for the analysis are defined. For data collection, a method for contacting the subjects of the sample is then implemented (questionnaire or interview). The collected data is then analyzed. Figure 1 illustrates the study design of cross-sectional studies. [1]
