Community Medicine (PSM) · Epidemiology (Study Designs, Bias, Systematic Review, Measures of Association)

Berkson's bias is a type of selection bias unique to which study design?

  • A Prospective cohort studies
  • B Community-based cross-sectional surveys
  • C Randomized controlled trials
  • D Hospital-based case-control studies
Correct answer: D. Hospital-based case-control studies

Explanation

Berkson's bias occurs in hospital-based case-control studies because hospitalized controls differ from the general population — they carry their own disease burden, artificially distorting the exposure-disease association. Using population-based controls avoids this bias. It arises because differential hospitalization rates for cases and controls create a spurious association between the exposure and the disease under study.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

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