Table 1 Definitions of population groups

The definition of target, source, and study populations are interrelated and are a starting point for the methods described in this paper. These concepts are defined as follows [4];

• Target Population: The collection of individuals, items, measurements, etc., about which inferences are desired. The term is sometimes used to indicate the population or group from which a sample or study population is drawn and sometimes to denote a reference population about which inferences are desired

• Source Population: The group from which a study group is selected

• Study Population: The group selected for investigation.