Post by Admin on Feb 15, 2016 1:20:28 GMT
A study was designed to examine whether people with less education were more likely to develop lung cancer. The study followed participants for 30 years, and found that people with lower education status had a statistically significantly higher rate of developing lung cancer. The authors concluded that there is a strong association between lower education and developing lung cancer. Later, an independent committee reviewing the study found that people with less education were also more likely to be smokers.
This study design introduces what type of potential bias?
A.
Confounding bias
B.
Hawthorne bias
C.
Reporting bias
D.
Sampling bias
E.
Selection bias
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Confounding can be thought of as a "confusion of effects." The apparent effect of the exposure of interest is distorted because the effect of an extraneous factor is mistaken for or mixed with the actual exposure effect. In the study described, the association between less education and developing lung cancer is confounded by the fact that people with lower educational status are more likely to be smokers. Therefore, smoking is the confounder in this study.
ConfusionDetails of education
B is not correct. 6% chose this.
The Hawthorne effect describes when individuals who are aware of being participants of a study behave differently.
C is not correct. 6% chose this.
Reporting bias and recall bias refer to the same type of bias. It is a phenomenon that exists when those exposed have a greater sensitivity for recalling exposure. This is important in case-control studies when exposure history is obtained retrospectively. For example, those who develop a cold are more likely to identify their exposure than those who do not. They may recall being sneezed on, for example, while those who do not develop a cold do not.
D is not correct. 7% chose this.
Sampling bias refers to a question of external validity. In other words, the population used in the study is not representative of the general population. Therefore the results of the study lack external validity.
E is not correct. 8% chose this.
Selection bias occurs when there is nonrandom assignment to study groups. It most commonly arises from a poorly devised method of recruiting and/or randomizing participants.
Bottom Line:
The correct answer is A. Confounding bias occurs when there is a causal relationship between an unaccounted factor and the main outcome. This unaccounted factor is called a confounder, and it must also relate to the exposure of interest.
This study design introduces what type of potential bias?
A.
Confounding bias
B.
Hawthorne bias
C.
Reporting bias
D.
Sampling bias
E.
Selection bias
We value your feedback!
Confounding can be thought of as a "confusion of effects." The apparent effect of the exposure of interest is distorted because the effect of an extraneous factor is mistaken for or mixed with the actual exposure effect. In the study described, the association between less education and developing lung cancer is confounded by the fact that people with lower educational status are more likely to be smokers. Therefore, smoking is the confounder in this study.
ConfusionDetails of education
B is not correct. 6% chose this.
The Hawthorne effect describes when individuals who are aware of being participants of a study behave differently.
C is not correct. 6% chose this.
Reporting bias and recall bias refer to the same type of bias. It is a phenomenon that exists when those exposed have a greater sensitivity for recalling exposure. This is important in case-control studies when exposure history is obtained retrospectively. For example, those who develop a cold are more likely to identify their exposure than those who do not. They may recall being sneezed on, for example, while those who do not develop a cold do not.
D is not correct. 7% chose this.
Sampling bias refers to a question of external validity. In other words, the population used in the study is not representative of the general population. Therefore the results of the study lack external validity.
E is not correct. 8% chose this.
Selection bias occurs when there is nonrandom assignment to study groups. It most commonly arises from a poorly devised method of recruiting and/or randomizing participants.
Bottom Line:
The correct answer is A. Confounding bias occurs when there is a causal relationship between an unaccounted factor and the main outcome. This unaccounted factor is called a confounder, and it must also relate to the exposure of interest.