case-control study, a nonexperimental research design using an epidemiological approach in which previous cases of the condition are used in lieu of new information gathered from a randomized population. A group of patients with a particular disease or disorder, such as myocardial infarction, is compared with a control group of persons who have not had that medical problem. The two groups, matched for age, sex, and other personal data, are examined to determine which possible factor (e.g., cigarette smoking, coffee drinking) may account for the increased disease incidence in the case group. See also retrospective study.
