DLA6- Clinical Epidemiology, Outcomes & Causation

Question 1

crude mortality rate

Answer 1

= deaths / population

Question 2

mortality rates are often expressed as….

Answer 2

deaths per 100,000 people per year

Question 3

population-specific mortality rate

Answer 3

deaths in a group (usually per year) / population of group

Question 4

infant mortality rate

Answer 4

death < 1 y/o in time period / live birth in time period

Question 5

cause-specific mortality rate

Answer 5

deaths of specified cause in time period / total population in time period

Question 6

proportionate mortality rate

Answer 6

deaths of specified cause in time period / total deaths in time period

Question 7

case fatality rate

Answer 7

choose a group of similar/specific cases:

deaths/number of cases

Question 8

standardized rates / adjusted rate

Answer 8

age adjusted mortality rates to compare populations (usually between countries)

Question 9

temporality as causation criteria

Answer 9

most important

-does exposure occur before outcome

Question 10

strength of association as causation criteria

Answer 10

stronger the correlation, more likely its causal

Question 11

consistency as causation criteria

Answer 11

more studies showing correlation (of different populations, and different study types) more likely its causal

Question 12

experimental reversibility as causation criteria

Answer 12

does removal of exposure lead to a reduction in risk of outcome

Question 13

define biological gradient

Answer 13

is there a relationship between dose of exposure and increased risk in outcome

Question 14

define biological plausibility

Answer 14

is there a known biological pathway for causation