Topic 8.3: Measures of Association

statistical techniques conducted on sample data to determine the strengths the relationships between exposures and outcomes.
Depends on
1. A. Study design being used
2. B. Type of variables analysed in the sample data.
Includes
1. Relative Risk (RR)
2. Odds Ratio (OR)
3. Correlation Coefficient (r)
4. Chi-square (χ2)
Quanititative studies
1. association between the independent variable (IV) and the dependent variable (DV)
How do you establish that there is an association between two variables? There are a number of ways, depending on the level of measurement of the variables and the type of study design
GOAL: Descriptive
1. you can use graphs or tables, depending on the level of measurement of the variables,
  1. you can use graphs or tables, depending on the level of measurement of the variables,
Causation
1. then a hypothesis test or confidence interval is used
2. estimate the likelihood that the observed association is also generalisable to the population
showing the existence of an association tells you nothing about how or why there is an association between the variables being studied.
1. Correlation or association does not equal causation.
  1. only tells you that two variables are associated - but not why.
    1. The establishment of causal relationships usually requires further research.

Resource summary

	Created by shirley.ha almost 11 years ago