Cross-sectional study

In medical research, epidemiology, social science, and biology, a cross-sectional study (also known as a cross-sectional analysis, transverse study, prevalence study) is a type of observational study that analyzes data from a population, or a representative subset, at a specific point in time—that is, cross-sectional data. In economics, cross-sectional studies typically involve the use of cross-sectional regression, in order to sort out the existence and magnitude of causal effects of one independent variable upon a dependent variable of interest at a given point in time. They differ from time series analysis, in which the behavior of one or more economic aggregates is traced through time.

Extends: Epidemiology, [Cross-sectional analysis](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Cross-sectional analysis), [Observational study](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Observational study), [Nursing research](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Nursing research), [Mathematical and quantitative methods (economics)](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Mathematical and quantitative methods (economics))