Studies on the environmental factors affecting human health have become one of the central concerns of medical and environmental researchers worldwide. It is a known fact that air, water, and soil pollution have concerning effects on human health. However, continuous research is required to understand whether efforts for reducing pollution have been effective in improving health outcomes, as well as for explaining variations in adverse health consequences experienced by people in polluted areas. Choosing a correct study design is essential as it can assist in improving validity and reliability of the research.
A study by Raaschou-Nielsen et al. (2013) aimed to summarize previous research findings regarding the effect of air pollution on lung cancer incidence in 17 countries. The research uses a prospective meta-analysis design to evaluate and combine the findings obtained from the 17 cohorts. Another study on the effect of air pollution on human health is the research by Steinle, Reis, and Sabel (2013). The aim of the study was to quantify human exposure to air pollution, and the researchers used a literature review design to achieve their goal. Studies by Silva et al. (2013) and Alves et al. (2014) concentrated on human health risks due to air and water pollution, respectively. Both studies used a prospective cohort design.
Overall, the study design highly depends on the goals of the study. In research on the environmental impacts on health, studies that use secondary data typically use a meta-analysis or a literature review design to outline past findings. Studies relying on primary data, however, use a cohort design that allows mapping health risks and consequences.
References
Alves, R. I., Sampaio, C. F., Nadal, M., Schuhmacher, M., Domingo, J. L., & Segura-Muñoz, S. I. (2014). Metal concentrations in surface water and sediments from Pardo River, Brazil: Human health risks. Environmental Research, 133(1), 149-155.
Raaschou-Nielsen, O., Andersen, Z. J., Beelen, R., Samoli, E., Stafoggia, M., Weinmayr, G.,… Xun, W. W. (2013). Air pollution and lung cancer incidence in 17 European cohorts: Prospective analyses from the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE). The Lancet Oncology, 14(9), 813-822.
Silva, R. A., West, J. J., Zhang, Y., Anenberg, S. C., Lamarque, J. F., Shindell, D. T.,… Horowitz, L. W. (2013). Global premature mortality due to anthropogenic outdoor air pollution and the contribution of past climate change. Environmental Research Letters, 8(3), 1-11.
Steinle, S., Reis, S., & Sabel, C. E. (2013). Quantifying human exposure to air pollution—Moving from static monitoring to spatio-temporally resolved personal exposure assessment. Science of the Total Environment, 443(1), 184-193.