Part III Lecture 5

Question 1

Effect modifiers

Answer 1

Factors that dictate how an individual will respond to exposure

Question 2

High risk strategy

Answer 2

Prevent illness by targeting high risk individuals

Question 3

What are the advantages of the high risk strategy?

Answer 3

1) intervention appropriate to the individual
2) subject motivation
3) physician motivation
4) cost-effective
5) favorable cost-benefit

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of the high risk strategy?

Answer 4

1) costs/difficulties of screening
2) does not address the root cause
3) risk factors have poor predictive performance for individual health
4) intervention may go against social norm

a large number of people at small risk may give rise to more cases of disease than the small number who are at high risk

Question 5

Population approach

Answer 5

Seeks to prevent illness by shifting the entire exposure distribution for the population in a favorable direction

Question 6

What are the advantages of the population approach?

Answer 6

1) addresses root cause
2) large population health benefits
3) behaviourly appropriate

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of the population approach?

Answer 7

1) small benefits for individuals
2) poor motivation for subjects and physicians
3) less favourable cost benefit

Question 8

Why is the prevalence of the exposure important?

Answer 8

Small risks are important if very large numbers of people are exposed (e.g., air pollution, water quality)