Epidemiology 4

Question 1

Define risk factor

Answer 1

An environmental, behavioural or biological factor, confirmed by temporal sequence, that increases the risk of disease occurring, and when taken away, reduces the probability

Question 2

What is a causal agent?

Answer 2

Few diseases have single cause

Usually it is exposure of susceptible individual to a ‘causal agent’

A causal agent is something that does not inevitably result in disease, but contributes

Question 3

What is a confounding variable? Give example

Answer 3

Uncontrolled variable that exerts influence on outcome which ends up confounding results

Control and test group of drug to reduce hypertension

Drug group reduced but drug group had net younger age

Age is a confounding variable as it can have contributed

Question 4

What is a cohort study

Answer 4

Studying two groups of people / things, one exposed to certain factor and one not

Question 5

What is a case control study?

Answer 5

Group already with disease compared to group without disease

Trace back and analyse each individuals risk factors from each group