Causation and Risk Factors

Question 1

What is causation and what are the two types of causation?

Answer 1

Causation: something that either alone or in combination with other things produces an outcome (i.e. a disease).
Can be necessary, sufficient or both.

Question 2

What is necessary causation?

Answer 2

Necessary cause: if a necessary factor in present, the disease will not occur.

Question 3

What is sufficient causation?

Answer 3

Sufficient cause: present of a factor is enough to result in a disease.

Question 4

What is a risk factor?

Answer 4

A factor that increases the likelihood of developing a disease, but is not causal. The disease can occur without it.

Question 5

What are the four types of risk factors?

Answer 5

Predisposing
Enabling/disabling
Precipitating
Reinforcing

Question 6

What is the attributable fraction?

Answer 6

The likely quantitative impact of eliminating a specific causal factor.

Question 7

What is the Bradford-Hill Criteria?

Answer 7

Criteria that quantifies the causal relationship.

Question 8

What are the six Bradford-Hill Criteria?

Answer 8

Temporal relationship
Plausibility
Consistency 
Strength of association 
Dose-response 
Reversibility.