{"id":36546,"date":"2025-06-21T12:34:24","date_gmt":"2025-06-21T07:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?p=36546"},"modified":"2025-06-16T18:35:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T13:05:26","slug":"cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges","title":{"rendered":"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW108537151 BCX0\">As a researcher, you must be familiar with various study designs that support your investigations. In fact, you may have already applied several of them to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW108537151 BCX0\">your research. This article provides an overview of the cross-sectional study design, highlighting its applications with examples<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW108537151 BCX0\">, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW108537151 BCX0\">major benefits, and the limitations involved.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What is a Cross-sectional Study?<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW159224378 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW159224378 BCX0\">A cross-sectional research study is a type of observational research design in which data <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW159224378 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW159224378 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Strong\">are<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW159224378 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW159224378 BCX0\"> collected from multiple individuals at a single point in time. This study design is commonly used to assess the prevalence of characteristics, behaviors, diseases, or other variables within a specific group <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW159224378 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW159224378 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Strong\">without any intervention or influence.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Cross-sectional Study Examples<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW246699882 BCX0\">Let<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW246699882 BCX0\">\u2019<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW246699882 BCX0\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW246699882 BCX0\"> u<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW246699882 BCX0\">nderstand more about cross-sectional studies with examples.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. <span class=\"TextRun SCXW154773709 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154773709 BCX0\">Cross-sectional study in the context of health and wellness.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\">Suppose you want<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\"> to assess the <\/span><\/span><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\">prevalence of obesity among adults in a city<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\"> and explore its association with lifestyle factors<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\">,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\"> such as diet and physical activity.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\">Here\u2019s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\"> how you would <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\">approach<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW47078702 BCX0\"> it:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Begin by <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">surveying<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> a randomly selected group of adults through questionnaires or medical check-ups at a single point in time.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Then, <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">collect data<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> on each participant\u2019s weight, height, dietary habits, exercise frequency, and demographic details.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Finally, <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">analyze associations<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> between obesity and lifestyle factors, such as whether people who exercise less tend to have a higher body mass index (BMI).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">Outcome<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\"> The study can <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">identify<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\"> patterns and correlations, such as <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">\u201c<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">lower physical activity is linked to higher obesity rates.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">\u201d<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\"> However, it <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">cannot confirm<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\"> whether <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW240151149 BCX0\">inactivity<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\"> cause<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\"> obesity or if obesity le<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">d<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240151149 BCX0\"> to reduced physical activity.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW88959184 BCX0\">Cross-sectional study in the context of <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW88959184 BCX0\">sports.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\">Imagine <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\">you<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\"> want to investigate the <\/span><\/span><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\">relationship between training habits and injury prevalence among <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\">football<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\"> players<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\">.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW200185400 BCX0\"> Your approach can be summarized as follows:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Survey<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> a group of amateur and professional football players at a single point in time, collecting data on training frequency, intensity, and past injuries.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Record variables<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> such as age, position played, stretching routines, and history of injuries.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Analyze associations<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> between training habits and injury occurrence rates\u2014for example, whether players who train more than five times a week are more likely to experience muscle injuries.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW64651820 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW64651820 BCX0\">Outcome:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW64651820 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW64651820 BCX0\"> This study can help <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW64651820 BCX0\">identify<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW64651820 BCX0\"> trends, such as a higher injury rate among players with intense training schedules. However, it cannot <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW64651820 BCX0\">determine<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW64651820 BCX0\"> causation\u2014whether frequent training causes more injuries or if already-injured players report more training sessions due to recovery programs.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">In both these examples,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\"> you will notice that the study only<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">establish<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">es<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\"> correlations and does not <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">determine<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\"> causation. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">To analyze <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">behavior<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">over <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">time<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">or <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">identify<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\"> long-term trends, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\"> longitudinal stud<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">y is <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154946980 BCX0\">required.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Cross-sectional Study vs. Longitudinal Study<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\">While a cross-sectional study <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\">examines<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\"> multiple subjects at a single point in time, a longitudinal study <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\">follows<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\"> the same group of subjects <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\">over an extended<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\">period of time<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\">.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\"> In a longitudinal study, data <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW261532929 BCX0\">are<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\"> often <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\">collected from <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\">smaller groups of <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\">individuals who share<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW261532929 BCX0\"> a common trait.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"54\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"258\"><strong>Cross-sectional study<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"312\"><strong>Longitudinal study<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"54\">1.<\/td>\n<td width=\"258\">Examines a diverse group of subjects at a single point in time.<\/td>\n<td width=\"312\">The same group of subjects is studied over a certain time period.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"54\">2.<\/td>\n<td width=\"258\">A large pool is used for data collection.<\/td>\n<td width=\"312\">Generally, data collection occurs from smaller groups of individuals who share a common trait.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-36555 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Cross-sectional study vs. longitudinal study diagram.\" width=\"482\" height=\"272\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 482px) 100vw, 482px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>When to Conduct a Cross-sectional Study?<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW55123272 BCX0\">With multiple study designs, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW55123272 BCX0\">you may wonder<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW55123272 BCX0\"> when a cross-sectional study <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW55123272 BCX0\">is the best choice<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW55123272 BCX0\">. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW55123272 BCX0\">Here are some<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW55123272 BCX0\"> pointers:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf076\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"10\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf076&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ideal for determining prevalence:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Cross-sectional studies can effectively assess the prevalence of behaviors and study associations between multiple exposures and outcomes. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For instance, a cross-sectional study would be ideal for analyzing the prevalence of cyberbullying among high school students and its association with social media usage.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf076\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"10\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf076&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cost-effective and time-efficient:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Since data is collected only once, cross-sectional studies save time and money while setting up a foundation for further research.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf076\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"10\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf076&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Applicable to both descriptive and analytical studies: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For example, if you want to study sports injuries among college athletes, a descriptive study might examine the prevalence of injuries in different sports (e.g., the number of football players experiencing ankle sprains). By contrast, an analytical study would investigate risk factors, such as training intensity, warm-up routines, and playing surfaces, to understand why some athletes are more prone to injuries than others.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Benefits and Limitations of Cross-sectional Studies<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW21369753 BCX0\">Like all study designs, cross-sectional studies have certain<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW21369753 BCX0\"> advantages and drawbacks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW183805432 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW183805432 BCX0\">Advantages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW183805432 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2705Quick and cost-effective: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cross-sectional studies are faster and less expensive than longitudinal studies because data are collected at a single point in time.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:720}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2705<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Useful for measuring prevalence:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> They help determine how common a condition, behavior, or characteristic is within a specific population. By collecting data from a large subject pool, cross-sectional studies allow for comparisons between groups.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:720}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2705<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">No follow-up necessary:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Since participants are surveyed only once at a specific time point, there is no risk of dropout, which is a common issue in longitudinal (long-term) studies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW105540062 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW105540062 BCX0\">Drawbacks<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW105540062 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u274c<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cannot establish causality:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Cross-sectional studies <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">provide a snapshot of both the alleged cause and effect,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> identifying associations but not confirming cause-and-effect relationships<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:720}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u274c<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Susceptible to confounding variables:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> External factors that influence the results are not often accounted for, which may result in misleading conclusions.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:720}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u274c<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Limited to a single time point:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> These studies do not capture changes over time, rendering them unsuitable for studying trends or long-term effects.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\">Depending on the study <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\">objective<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\"> and research question, a cross-sectional study design <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\">can be an effective choice for<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\"> investigat<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\">ing<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\"> behavioral patterns. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\">It is particularly useful<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\"> for conducting <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\">an<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\"> initial<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\"> analysis before <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\">exploring<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\"> long-term trend<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\">s<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW154082842 BCX0\">in greater depth.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a researcher, you must be familiar with various study designs that support your investigations. In fact, you may have already applied several of them to your research. This article provides an overview of the cross-sectional study design, highlighting its applications with examples, major benefits, and the limitations involved. What is a Cross-sectional Study? A [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70612,"featured_media":36555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5825,5826],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-36546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editage-insights-category","tag-cross-sectional-study","tag-longitudinal-study"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understand cross-sectional studies, their key applications in research, major benefits, and common challenges faced in implementation and interpretation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges | Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understand cross-sectional studies, their key applications in research, major benefits, and common challenges faced in implementation and interpretation.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-21T07:04:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sindhuja A\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Editage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Editage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sindhuja A\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sindhuja A\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/d4e94a0d92820efd378538fe54342d61\"},\"headline\":\"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-21T07:04:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges\"},\"wordCount\":916,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"cross-sectional study\",\"longitudinal study\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Editage Insights\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges\",\"name\":\"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges | Editage Insights\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-21T07:04:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"Understand cross-sectional studies, their key applications in research, major benefits, and common challenges faced in implementation and interpretation.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"Cross-sectional study vs. longitudinal study diagram.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\",\"name\":\"Editage Insights\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Editage Insights\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":324,\"caption\":\"Editage Insights\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/Editage\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/d4e94a0d92820efd378538fe54342d61\",\"name\":\"Sindhuja A\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/be9feefd78dce29bfdb2cf5fc03c74bb5acbbda34983ba9640689dbb65a5e2ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/be9feefd78dce29bfdb2cf5fc03c74bb5acbbda34983ba9640689dbb65a5e2ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sindhuja A\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/sindhujaa\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges | Editage Insights","description":"Understand cross-sectional studies, their key applications in research, major benefits, and common challenges faced in implementation and interpretation.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges | Editage Insights","og_description":"Understand cross-sectional studies, their key applications in research, major benefits, and common challenges faced in implementation and interpretation.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges","og_site_name":"Editage Insights","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage","article_published_time":"2025-06-21T07:04:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sindhuja A","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Editage","twitter_site":"@Editage","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sindhuja A","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges"},"author":{"name":"Sindhuja A","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/d4e94a0d92820efd378538fe54342d61"},"headline":"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges","datePublished":"2025-06-21T07:04:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges"},"wordCount":916,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg","keywords":["cross-sectional study","longitudinal study"],"articleSection":["Editage Insights"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges","name":"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges | Editage Insights","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg","datePublished":"2025-06-21T07:04:24+00:00","description":"Understand cross-sectional studies, their key applications in research, major benefits, and common challenges faced in implementation and interpretation.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cross-v-long.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"Cross-sectional study vs. longitudinal study diagram."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cross-sectional-studies-overview-applications-advantages-and-challenges#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cross-sectional Studies: Overview, Applications, Advantages, and Challenges"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/","name":"Editage Insights","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization","name":"Editage Insights","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp","width":2560,"height":324,"caption":"Editage Insights"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage","https:\/\/x.com\/Editage"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/d4e94a0d92820efd378538fe54342d61","name":"Sindhuja A","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/be9feefd78dce29bfdb2cf5fc03c74bb5acbbda34983ba9640689dbb65a5e2ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/be9feefd78dce29bfdb2cf5fc03c74bb5acbbda34983ba9640689dbb65a5e2ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sindhuja A"},"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/sindhujaa"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/70612"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36546"},{"taxonomy":"new_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_categories?post=36546"},{"taxonomy":"new_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_tags?post=36546"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=36546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}