RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Influence of design characteristics on the outcome of retrospective cohort studies.
JF British Journal of Industrial Medicine
JO Br J Ind Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 624
OP 629
DO 10.1136/oem.45.9.624
VO 45
IS 9
A1 G M Swaen
A1 J M Meijers
YR 1988
UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/45/9/624.abstract
AB Retrospective cohort studies are increasingly being applied in occupational health. To describe and investigate further this type of study 179 retrospective cohort studies published in six scientific journals between 1975 and 1985 inclusive were reviewed. A description of the 179 reviewed articles was made and relations between investigator orientated variables, design characteristics, and the outcome of the study were investigated. Retrospective cohort studies focusing on exposures in the chemical industry appeared to yield most negative findings, which is partly explained by the relation between the affiliation of the investigator and the outcome of the study. Studies requiring a minimal latency period, an occupational reference group, and a low percentage of lost to follow up tended to have a higher chance of a positive finding. Study size, however, did not appear to be related to the outcome.