Measures of Association Flashcards
What types of studies are pertinent to measures of association?
- RCT
- case-control
- cohort studies
Why are outcomes measured in a variety of ways?
there are different data types
What are the 3 types of outcome measures?
- continuous objective e.g. blood glucose level
- continuous subjective measures e.g. pain levels
- categorical e.g. positive or negative disease test
In which 3 ways can the effects of new treatments with dichotomous outcomes be expressed?
- relative risk
- risk difference
- odds ratio
What do the measures (relative risk, risk difference, odds ratio) show?
they show the direction and magnitude of association between 2 variables
e.g. treatment and outcome
What is the definition of probability?
a measure of the chance of getting an outcome of interest from an event
Between which 2 numbers do probabilities always lie between?
probabilities always lie between 0 and 1
What does a probability of 0 and 1 mean?
a probability of 1 means that the outcome is certain
a probability of 0 means that the outcome cannot happen
In what other way can probabilities be measured?
as percentage chances
this is the probability x 100 so it ranges from 0-100%
What is risk a way of expressing?
risk is a way of expressing treatment effects
What is the definition of risk?
the probability of an outcome or event occurring
How is absolute risk calculated?
by dividing the number of events by the number of people at risk
What would the absolute risk be if 1 in every 100 patients suffers a side effect?
absolute risk = 1/100 = 0.01
What is meant by relative risk?
the ratio of the risk of an outcome in one group (e.g. exposed) compared to the risk of the outcome in another group (e.g. unexposed)
What is the calculation for relative risk?
risk in exposed/treatment group
/
risk in unexposed/control group
What does it mean when relative risk = 1?
the risk in the exposed group is the same as the risk in the unexposed group
What does it mean when the relative risk is < 1?
the risk in the exposed group is less than the risk in the unexposed group
What does it mean when relative risk > 1?
the risk in the exposed group is higher than the risk in the unexposed group