EBPS 4: Causation Research

Question 1

Causation

What does it mean when something causes something else?

Answer 1

• we are testing the hypothesis of whether the “exposure” causes the “outcome”
• If a relationship between an exposure and an outcome is causal, then changing the exposure can change the outcome

if smoking is causally linked to lung cancer, quitting smoking can reduce the risk of developing lung cancer.

Question 2

counterfactual theory

Answer 2

• If the exposure had not occurred, the outcome would not have occurred
• we apply study design methods to make comparisons between exposed and unexposed populations to determine whether the exposure is causally related to the outcome
• conduct sampling and measurement of the study population in such a way that exposed and unexposed are very similar on all characteristics but exposure

Question 3

advantages of traditional approaches to causation

Question 4

limitations of traditional approaches to causation

Question 5

Bradford Hill

Question 6

factors needed for research on causes

Answer 6

• population
• time
• exposure
• outcome
• variables for understanding confounding
• mediation
• interaction

Question 7

reverse causation

Answer 7

the causal relationship between the two factors could go the opposite way (the factor that was thought to be the outcome was actually a causal exposure for the factor that was originally thought to be the exposure)