What is an example of a confounding in epidemiology?
An example of confounding: When examining the relationship between alcohol consumption (E) and heart disease (D), smoking (C) would be an important confounding factor, since smoking is correlated with alcohol consumption and smoking is associated with heart disease [2].
What are confounding variables in epidemiology?
Confounding is the distortion of the association between an exposure and health outcome by an extraneous, third variable called a confounder.
What are confounding variables in a study?
A confounding variable (confounder) is a factor other than the one being studied that is associated both with the disease (dependent variable) and with the factor being studied (independent variable). A confounding variable may distort or mask the effects of another variable on the disease in question.
How are confounding variables controlled in epidemiology?
Strategies to reduce confounding are:
- randomization (aim is random distribution of confounders between study groups)
- restriction (restrict entry to study of individuals with confounding factors – risks bias in itself)
- matching (of individuals or groups, aim for equal distribution of confounders)
How is confounding controlled in epidemiology?
In randomization the random assignment of study subjects to exposure categories to breaking any links between exposure and confounders. This reduces potential for confounding by generating groups that are fairly comparable with respect to known and unknown confounding variables.
How can confounding be reduced in epidemiology?
What is strata in epidemiology?
Stratification is used both to evaluate and control for confounding and requires separating your sample into subgroups, or strata, according to the confounder of interest (e.g., by age, gender, race/ethnicity, etc.).
What is randomization in epidemiology?
Listen to pronunciation. (RAN-duh-mih-ZAY-shun) In research, the process by which participants in clinical trials are assigned by chance to separate groups that are given different treatments or other interventions.
How do you control a confounding variable in a cohort study?
Matching is a technique used to avoid confounding in a study design. In a cohort study this is done by ensuring an equal distribution among exposed and unexposed of the variables believed to be confounding.