Before beginning this activity, review the faculty notes and readings in the text.

Before beginning this activity, review the faculty notes and readings in the text.
You have already read the articles, “Jogging and Bone Mineral Density in Men: Results from NHANES III,” [PDF file size 69.6 KB] and “Tanezumab for the Treatment of Pain from Osteoarthritis of the Knee” [PDF file size 645 KB]
As you review these studies to participate in the discussion, I would like you to think about the differences in the study designs and approach to answering their respective research questions. Think about the strengths and limitations of each design. What benefit does each design have? What disadvantages might they have?
Consider how the research question might affect the type of study design we choose. If we are evaluating a drug treatment, what is the better approach – experimental or cross-sectional evaluation? Could the experimental study have been conducted using a cross-sectional approach? Similarly, would the research question answered in the cross-sectional study lend itself to an experimental design? How does the population we want to study affect what design we choose? What limitations might one design have compared to its alternative? You should also consider practicality, cost, or other considerations you imagine an investigator might have.
Your task is to compare and contrast the example paper by Lane et al. with the individual assignment paper by Mussolino et al.

After reading the article, answer the following questions, in paragraph format:

·         Could the research question addressed in the study by Lane et al. have been conducted using a cross-sectional design? Why or why not? What would be some of the potential advantages/disadvantages of using this alternative design?

·         Could a relationship between jogging and bone mineral density in the study by Mussolino et al. have been evaluated using an experimental approach? Why or why not? What would be some of the potential advantages/disadvantages of using this alternative design?