definition of cross sectional study in statistics
Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study A descriptive cross-sectional study is a study in which the disease or condition and potentially related factors are measured at a specific point in time for a defined population. Cross-sectional studies can be thought of as a snapshot of the frequency and characteristics of a condition in a population at a particular point in time. This type of data can be used to assess the prevalence of conditions in a population.
For example, a cross-sectional design would be used to assess demographic characteristics or community attitudes. These studies usually involve one contact with the study population and are relatively cheap to undertake. Pre-test/post-test studies measure the change in a situation, phenomenon, problem or attitude.