CHEAT SHEET IN RESEARCH
THE 2x2 TABLE / CONTINGENCY TABLE
STUDY DESIGNS
CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Frequency of disease and frequency
of risk-related factors are assessed in
the present.
Asks, “What is happening?”
Disease prevalence
CASE-CONTROL STUDY
Compares a group of people with
disease to a group without disease.
Looks to see if odds of prior exposure
or risk factor differs by disease state.
Asks, “What happened?”
Odds ratio (OR)
COHORT STUDY
Compares a group with a given
exposure or risk factor to a group
without such exposure.
Looks to see if exposure or risk factor
is associated with later development
of disease.
Can be prospective (asks, “Who will
develop disease?”) or retrospective
(asks, “Who developed the disease
[exposed vs nonexposed]?”).
Relative Risk
THE 2x2 TABLE in EVALUATION OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

SENSITIVITY Proportion of all people with Value approaching 100% is

disease who test positive, or the desirable for ruling out disease
probability that when the and indicates a low false-negative
disease is present, the test is rate. A
positive. High sensitivity test used for
x 100
screening in diseases with low A+C
“Sa mga may sakit, ilan ang prevalence.
magpopositive sa test?”
SPECIFICITY Proportion of all people without Value approaching 100% is
disease who test negative, or the desirable for ruling in disease and
probability that when the indicates a low false-positive
D
disease is absent, the test is
negative.
rate.
High specificity test used for
x 100
confirmation after a positive
B+D
“Sa mga walang sakit, ilan ang screening test.
magnenegative sa test?”
POSITIVE Proportion of positive test results PPV varies directly with pretest
PREDICTIVE that are true positive. probability (baseline risk, such as
VALUE (PPV)
Probability that a person who has prevalence of disease): A
a positive test result actually has high pretest probability à high x 100
the disease. PPV A+B
“Sa mga nagpositive sa test, ilan
ang totoong may sakit?”
NEGATIVE Proportion of negative test NPV varies inversely with
PREDICTIVE results that are true negative. prevalence or pretest
Probability that a person with a probability: high pretest
VALUE (NPV) D
negative test result actually does probability à low NPV x 100
not have the disease. C+D
“Sa mga nagnegative sa test, ilan
ang totoong walang sakit?”
LIKELIHOOD
RATIO
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