Causation Flashcards
Define factor
A cause if the outcome would not have occured in the abscence of the factor, holding all other things constant including space and time
Define sufficient cause
Constellation of causes that together inevitably prodces disease
Define necessary causes
If a factor is a component cause in every sufficient cause
What is meant by strength of association?
Blurred by confounding variables/imprecise measures of outcome
What is meant by consistency?
Replications of findings- repeatedly observed in different studies in different populations
What is a confounder?
Associated with the exposure under study in the source population
A risk factor for the outcome though it need not actually cause the outcome
Must not be affected by the exposure of the outcome
What is meant by temporal precedence?
The effect should follow the cause
What is meant by intervention?
Remove the risk factor and demonstrate that you will reduce the incidence of disease
What is meant by specificity?
One risk factor is linked to one health outcome
What is the Bradford-Hill Criteria of Causation?
Strength of Association Dose-response relationship Consistency Temporal relationship Intervention Biological plausibility Specificity Coherence Analogy
What is meant by coherence?
Association between the Risk Factor and Health Outcome c
What are the differences between cause at an individual level compared to a population level?
X
