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Recall bias — USMLE Step 3 MCQ

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EasyPreventive Medicine, Epidemiology, BiostatisticsRecall biasUSMLE Step 3

A case-control study finds an association between a medication and birth defects. Mothers of affected infants recall medication exposures more frequently than mothers of unaffected infants. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this patient's findings?

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Correct answer: E — Recall bias

Recall bias occurs when exposure recall differs between cases and controls, often because affected participants search memory more intensively.

Reference: USMLE Step 3 epidemiology content