[2] Class 14: Asso./causality

Question 1

precursor event/condition required for the occurrence of the disease

Answer 1

Cause

Question 2

Does association prove causation?

Answer 2

NO

Question 3

Relationship between an exposure and an outcome

Answer 3

Association

Question 4

3 types of associations:

Answer 4

Artifactual
Non-causal
Causal

Question 5

Associations that can arise from bias AND/OR confounding

Answer 5

Artifactual

Question 6

Associations that occurs either by: disease causing the Exposure OR confounding [disease and exposure r/t a third factor]

Answer 6

Non-causal

Question 7

Association where the exposure leads to the outcome/disease

Answer 7

Causal

Question 8

Types of causal relationships:

Answer 8

Sufficient
Necessary
Component

Question 9

A condition which precedes a disease and if present the disease will always occur

Answer 9

Sufficient cause

Question 10

Condition must be present for the disease to occur, but the cause may also be present without the disease occurring

Answer 10

Necessary cause

Question 11

A condition that if present increases the probability of a particular disease

Answer 11

Component cause

Question 12

2 interactions in causal research:

Answer 12

Synergism and parallelism

Question 13

The biological interaction of 2 or more component causes that the combined effect is greater than the sum of individual effects

Answer 13

Synergism

Question 14

Biological interaction of 2 or more component causes such that the measure of effect is greater if either is present

Answer 14

Parallelism

Question 15

Multiple component-causes working in concert to collectively become sufficient causes

Answer 15

Multiple causation

Question 16

What is used to be able to label an observed asso. A causation?

Answer 16

Hill’s criteria (guidelines)

Question 17

What are Hill’s criteria guidelines?

Answer 17

Strength
Consistency
Temporality
Biological gradient
Plausibility

Question 18

How to interpret Hill’s criteria?

Answer 18

The higher the number of criteria met=the more likely it may be causal

Question 19

Causal interference process: The size of the measure of asso. (RR/OR/HR)

Answer 19

Strength

Question 20

Causal interference process: the repeated observations of an asso. In diff. Populations under diff. Circumstances in diff. Studies

Answer 20

Consistency

Question 21

Causal interference process: The necessity that the cause precedes the effect/ outcome in time

Answer 21

Temporality

-can be proximate/distant cause = short /long term interval

Question 22

Causal interference process: presence of a gradient of risk asso. W/ degree of exposure. Ex: # cigs smoked/day

Answer 22

Biologic gradient

Question 23

Causal interference process: Presence of a biological feasibility to the asso. Which can be understood and explained

Answer 23

Plausibility