What are field trials designed to do?

Field trials are specifically designed to assess the effectiveness of preventive measures or interventions in healthy populations. The main objective is to determine whether a particular preventive strategy, such as a vaccine or a lifestyle change, can reduce the incidence of a disease within a community.

By focusing on healthy individuals, field trials aim to gather data on how well the intervention works in preventing the onset of disease rather than treating it after it has developed. This proactive approach is essential for public health initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of disease in populations.

In contrast, while testing hypotheses about existing diseases, assessing treatment effectiveness in controlled settings, and evaluating community health outcomes can all be relevant in the wider realm of epidemiology and public health research, they do not specifically capture the primary goal of field trials, which centers on prevention in a healthy cohort.