Which epidemiological study type is primarily used to describe the distribution of cases by person, place, and time and to generate hypotheses rather than test them?

• A. Experimental randomized controlled trial assigning interventions and controls to evaluate efficacy
• B. Meta-analysis synthesizing results from multiple previous analytical and experimental studies to draw more general conclusions
• C. Descriptive study that provides an overview of how a health event occurs within a population, offering initial insights and patterns that can guide the development of further research questions
• D. Analytical study that compares groups of exposed and unexposed individuals observationally to establish causation through controlled assignment and follow-up in randomized settings

Answer: (C)