7. risk and studies

• risk?

  probability of occurrence of some unwanted event/outcome
• correlation?

  a change in one variable is accompanied by a change in another variable
• causation?

  change in 1 variable is responsible for change in another variable
• variables that effect risk?

  • non-controllable: age, sex, genetic disposition
  • controllable: lack of exercise, increased salt/saturated fat intake, increased blood cholesterol, increased blood pressure, obseity
• epidemiologist?

  scientist who study patterns/occurrences of diseases.

  • look for relations and correlations between disease and specific RF
• cohort study?

  • follow large group of people over a period of time (generations- very expensive)
  • identify who does/doesn't develop disease
  • record peoples exposure to suspected risk factors and whether they develop the disease
  • identify correlations between risk factor and disease devlopment

  prospective study, nobody starts with the disease
• case-control study?

  • group of people with disease (cases), compared with control (no disease)
  • info gathered about which RF both groups have been exposed to in the past
  • identify RF that contribute to disease, control needs to rep wider pop
  • match for certain factors (same age, gender, level of exercise)

  prospective study, looking back in time and identify what could've lead to disease