Table 1.

Strengths and limitations of case–control and prospective cohort study designs⁵

Strengths	Limitations
Case–control studies
Relatively quick	Difficult to examine temporality
Relatively inexpensive	Potentially prone to bias (selection and recall)
Can be used to examine multiple factors
Prospective cohort studies
Can be used to examine multiple outcomes	Expensive and time-consuming
Allow for prediagnostic specimens	Losses to follow-up over time
Minimal bias in selection, recall and ascertainment of exposure
Can be used to examine temporal relations between exposure and disease