Epidemiological Meta-Analyses

Epidemiological Meta-Analyses

Epidemiological meta-analyses are quantitative types of systematic reviews, in which summary measures of exposure–outcome associations are calculated based on the results of a selection of existing studies.

The goal of meta-analysis is to obtain a robust understanding of the relationship between an exposure and a health outcome. Existing studies may, of course, have strengths and limitations of their own. Similarly, the methodology of meta-analysis has its critics.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief summary of your informed opinion regarding the validity of the use of meta-analysis in epidemiological research. Include at least two strengths or limitations of meta-analysis as a systematic review technique. Provide evidence from at least one of the articles in the Learning Resources to support and justify your position.

Answer Preview

Meta-analysis involves the combination of several qualitative and quantitative data from several reviews in a particular study and combining them systematically in order to produce a more powerful piece of reviewed data. Meta-analysis is prevalent in medical research and especially the study of epidemiology to provide qualitative information on the relationship…

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