Final answer:
Cross-sectional studies are efficient and cost-effective for suggesting associations between variables but cannot establish causality and are limited by cohort effects due to varied social and cultural experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main advantages of cross-sectional studies include the ability to collect data from multiple segments of the population at the same point in time, which is cost-effective and convenient compared to long-term studies. This allows for a snapshot of the population which can suggest possible links between variables, as was the case in identifying a link between smoking and lung cancer. However, cross-sectional studies have disadvantages such as the inability to establish causality, only showing associations, and being potentially limited by cohort effects, which are differences resulting from various generations' unique social and cultural experiences.