Video - Cohort study

A cohort study is a study that helps to determine a relationship between an exposure and a future outcome. In cohort studies, a group of people with a specific characteristic, such as exposure to a particular substance, are followed over time to see if they develop a specific disease or health outcome.

Cohort studies can be either prospective or retrospective. In prospective cohort studies, also known as concurrent cohort studies, individuals are followed forward in time, and the number of people who develop a particular outcome gets compared between the two groups. Next, we have retrospective cohort studies, also called historical or non-concurrent cohort studies. In retrospective cohort studies, two groups of individuals are selected in the past and followed up until the present day. Comparing two groups determines the number of individuals in each group who develop a particular outcome.