A public health researcher in Delhi is investigating the association between occupational dust exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among construction workers. The researcher identifies 500 construction workers with confirmed COPD diagnosis and 500 age-matched construction workers without COPD. Both groups are then interviewed about their past 20 years of dust exposure history. Which study design is being employed, and what is the primary advantage of this approach for this particular research question?