Correlating risk factors

• What should you be able to describe by the end of the video?

  Risk factors linked to non-communicable diseases
• What is the focus of the video?

  Determining risk factors for non-communicable diseases
• What is epidemiology?

  Studying disease patterns to determine risk factors
• What is a good example of a non-communicable disease mentioned?

  Lung cancer
• Why couldn't scientists experiment on humans to find lung cancer causes?

  It would be unethical to do so
• What did scientists study to find links to lung cancer?

  People's lifestyle habits
• What is the relationship between smoking and lung cancer?

  Smoking is linked to higher lung cancer rates
• What type of graph do scientists use to determine correlation?

  Scatter graph
• What does a positive correlation indicate?

  As one variable increases, so does the other
• What does correlation not prove?

  It does not prove causation
• What is a causal mechanism?

  A scientific explanation of how something causes another
• What is the relationship between smoking and lung cancer now accepted as?

  Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer
• What are carcinogens?

  Chemicals that damage DNA and increase cancer risk
• What is the potential problem with sampling in epidemiology?

  Samples may not represent the entire population
• Why is a biased sample problematic?

  It leads to inaccurate conclusions about the population
• What should be done to avoid bias in sampling?

  Take a large and random sample
• What should you remember about small or non-random samples?

  They cannot be used to draw conclusions
• What are the key points about sampling in epidemiology?

  • Avoid bias by using large samples
  • Ensure samples are random
  • Small or non-random samples are unreliable
• What are the steps to determine risk factors linked to a disease?

  1. Identify potential risk factors
  2. Study patterns of disease
  3. Use epidemiology to analyze data
  4. Establish correlation and causal mechanisms