Question

what does it mean when a study says "study limitations include the cross sectional design, which does not allow causality to be determined between the girls activity and maternal behaviors and cognitions, and the small sample size of participants, who were a relatively homogeneous sample of mothers and daughters in terms of socio economic status." ? what is it saying about the limitations?

Answer 1

Answer: We will be going to understand mentioned limitations in separate parts of words of given sentences.

Firstly understand the Cross sectional design: It is a design in which data is collected on potentially related factors which are measured at specific point in time for defined population .

Causality: is the term means once process (Cause) is connects with other process (effect). In short it is relationship between cause and effect  

Small sample size of participants: Number of participants are not enough to make any estimate or conclusions on population.

Relatively homogeneous sample: subjects included in sample are having similar kind of properties or features.

Overall Interpretation:

Since study based on Cross sectional data which has property that it has data factors collected on specific point of time, so results based on such data not be useful for current situations. Since Cross sectional data does not have Causality (no relationship between variables of interest) for variables like Girls activity and maternal behaviors and cognitions. Also Sample size used for study is not good enough to make any hypothesis for population.

The used subjects of mothers and daughters are having similar kind of characteristics of socio economic status since to make any hypothesis based on sample and make them applicable to population we must have variation exist in chosen sample.