Certified in Public Health (CPH) Practice Exam

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What can be the consequence of having a high response rate in a case-control study?

It may increase potential biases.
It can improve the representativeness of study subjects.
It ensures equal risk levels in cases and controls.
It guarantees statistical significance of the findings.

The correct answer is: It can improve the representativeness of study subjects.

A high response rate in a case-control study can indeed enhance the representativeness of the study subjects. When a large proportion of the selected participants agree to participate and provide data, it is more likely that the sample reflects the characteristics of the overall population from which it was drawn. This is crucial for case-control studies, where the aim is often to investigate associations between exposures (or risk factors) and outcomes (cases), by comparing individuals with the outcome to those without. Higher representativeness minimizes selection bias, which can occur when the individuals who choose to participate differ in meaningful ways from those who do not. This increase in representativeness helps to strengthen the validity of the study’s findings, as the results can be more confidently generalized to the larger population. In summary, a high response rate supports the accuracy and applicability of the research conclusions regarding the relationship between exposure and outcome.