Letter to the Editor: A cohort study and not a case control study

Article information

Clin Exp Reprod Med. 2012;39(3):125-125

Publication date (electronic) : 2012 September 30

doi : https://doi.org/10.5653/cerm.2012.39.3.125

Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.

Corresponding author: Olusegun Ojo. Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA. segunojo@uab.edu

Received 2012 May 07.

Dear Editor:

Upon reading the recently published article entitled "Adverse pregnancy outcomes with assisted reproductive technology in non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a case control study" [1], we were compelled to point out that the study design does not conform to the principles of a case-control study. The authors state that the aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes between non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared to a control group. However, the study participants were selected on the basis of the specific exposure groups; for case control studies participants are selected on the basis of an outcome of interest. Thus, the authors have conducted a cohort study.

Notes

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

References

1. Han AR, Kim HO, Cha SW, Park CW, Kim JY, Yang KM, et al. Adverse pregnancy outcomes with assisted reproductive technology in non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a case-control study. Clin Exp Reprod Med 2011;38:103–108. 22384427.

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(open-access, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) :

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