What is the main focus of a prospective study?

The main focus of a prospective study is indeed to observe outcomes during the study period. In a prospective study, researchers follow a group of individuals over time, tracking their exposures to certain risk factors and observing how these lead to specific health outcomes. This type of study is valuable because it allows researchers to collect data in real-time, reducing the risk of recall bias that often affects retrospective studies where past data is analyzed.

Unlike retrospective studies, which look back at what has already happened, prospective studies are designed to observe events as they occur, providing a clearer timeline and potentially more accurate data. This approach allows researchers to better establish temporal relationships between exposures and outcomes, leading to more robust conclusions regarding causal relationships in health and disease.