Cross-sectional studies form a class of research methods that involve observation of some subset of a population of items all at the same time.

The alternative are longitudinal studies.

A cross-sectional study is a descriptive study in which disease and exposure status are measured simultaneously in a given population. Cross-sectional studies can be thought of as providing a "snapshot" of the frequency and characteristics of a disease in a population at a particular point in time. This type of data can be used to assess the prevalence of acute or chronic conditions in a population. However, since exposure and disease status are measured at the same point in time, it may not always be possible to distinguish whether the exposure proceeded or followed the disease.

Research methods | Epidemiology

Querschnitt (empirische Forschung) | 横断面研究