Question

Major limitations of cross-sectional studies include?

1) Inability to establish causality
2) Difficulty in determining temporal sequence
3) Potential for selection bias
4) Limited generalizability

Answer 1

The major limitations of cross-sectional studies include inability to establish causality, difficulty in determining temporal sequence, potential for selection bias, and limited generalizability.

Step-by-step explanation:

The major limitations of cross-sectional studies include:

1. Inability to establish causality: Cross-sectional studies can only show a correlation between variables, but cannot determine the cause and effect relationship.
2. Difficulty in determining temporal sequence: Since cross-sectional studies collect data at one point in time, it is challenging to determine the sequence of events.
3. Potential for selection bias: Cross-sectional studies rely on a sample of the population, which may not be representative and can introduce biases.
4. Limited generalizability: The findings from cross-sectional studies may not be applicable to the entire population due to the specific sample used.