Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

"Negative" results in cohort studies--how to recognize fallacies

S Hernberg

    Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
    |January 1, 1981
    PubMed
    Summary

    Truly negative occupational medicine studies require large size, high sensitivity, and robust exposure data to be informative. Small or insensitive studies may yield misleading results, masking true occupational health effects.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Induction and expression of cyclin D3 in human pancreatic cancer.

    Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology·2001
    Same author

    Work-related factors and mortality -- what is the burden?

    Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health·2001
    Same author

    Lead poisoning in a historical perspective.

    American journal of industrial medicine·2000
    Same author

    Towards a new millennium.

    Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health·2000
    Same author

    Differentiation of islet cells in long-term culture.

    Pancreas·2000
    Same author

    Inconclusive cancer epidemiology.

    Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health·1998

    Area of Science:

    • Occupational Medicine
    • Epidemiology

    Background:

    • Negative studies are crucial in occupational medicine for establishing non-effect levels of harmful exposures.
    • Understanding the limitations of negative studies is vital for accurate interpretation of research findings.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To define the criteria for a truly negative occupational medicine study.
    • To identify common pitfalls that lead to falsely negative results.

    Main Methods:

    • The study emphasizes the need for large sample sizes.
    • It highlights the importance of sensitive study designs and well-documented exposure data.
    • It discusses various methodological flaws that compromise the validity of negative findings.

    Main Results:

    • Small or insensitive studies are uninformative and can only relate to low exposure levels.
    • Falsely negative results stem from issues like inappropriate study design, crude measurements, and inadequate follow-up.
    • Errors in design and measurement often mask existing differences, leading to misinterpretation.

    Conclusions:

    • Rigorous methodology (large size, sensitivity, documented exposure) is essential for valid negative studies in occupational health.
    • Awareness of potential biases is critical for correct interpretation of occupational exposure research.
    • Even well-designed studies have limitations, with small, insensitive ones only ruling out very strong effects.

    Related Experiment Videos