**Core Concept**
Case-control studies are a type of observational study design used to investigate the association between an exposure and an outcome. In this design, participants are selected based on the presence or absence of the outcome, and their past exposure to a potential risk factor is then determined.

**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Case-control studies are particularly useful for studying rare outcomes or outcomes with long latency periods. By selecting participants based on the outcome, researchers can efficiently study the association between the exposure and outcome, even if the exposure is rare. This design is also useful for studying outcomes that are difficult to quantify, such as mortality or hospitalization rates.

**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** This option is incorrect because case-control studies are not used to establish causality, but rather to identify potential associations between exposures and outcomes.
**Option B:** This option is incorrect because case-control studies are not used to measure the incidence of a disease, but rather to study the association between exposures and outcomes.
**Option C:** This option is incorrect because case-control studies are not used to measure the prevalence of a disease, but rather to study the association between exposures and outcomes.

**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
One key limitation of case-control studies is the possibility of recall bias, where participants with the outcome are more likely to remember their past exposures than participants without the outcome.

**Correct Answer: D.**