Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Confounding in health research.

S Greenland¹, H Morgenstern

¹Department of Epidemiology, Los Angeles School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1772, USA. HalM@ucla.edu

Annual Review of Public Health

|March 29, 2001

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Clustering of esophageal cancer among white men in the United States.

Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus·2018

Same author

Shared and Study-specific Dietary Patterns and Head and Neck Cancer Risk in an International Consortium.

Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)·2018

Same author

The role of oral hygiene in head and neck cancer: results from International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium.

Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology·2016

Same author

Vitamin E intake from natural sources and head and neck cancer risk: a pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium.

British journal of cancer·2015

Same author

Comparison of three methods for measuring psoriasis severity in clinical studies (Part 2 of 2): use of quality of life to assess construct validity of the Lattice System Physician's Global Assessment, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index and Static Physician's Global Assessment.

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV·2015

Same author

Nutrient-based dietary patterns and the risk of head and neck cancer: a pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium.

Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology·2011

Understanding confounding is crucial for causal effect estimation in research. This paper clarifies confounding, distinguishing it from related terms and exploring its control and implications in various study designs.

Area of Science:

Epidemiology
Biostatistics
Causal Inference

Background:

Confounding is a critical concept in estimating causal effects.
The term 'confounding' is often ambiguously used, leading to confusion with other concepts.
A clear understanding is essential for accurate study design and analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a comprehensive overview of confounding and related concepts.
To clarify the definition and implications of confounding within a counterfactual framework.
To distinguish confounding from confounders and discuss challenges in controlling for it.

Main Methods:

Utilized a counterfactual model of causation as the primary framework.
Reviewed historical definitions and contemporary uses of the term 'confounding'.

Related Experiment Videos

Examined the relationship between confounding, exchangeability, and collapsibility.

Main Results:

Confounding is identified as a significant source of bias in nonexperimental research.
Distinguished between the concepts of confounding and confounders.
Highlighted issues in controlling confounding and its role in randomized trials.

Conclusions:

A precise definition of confounding, based on a counterfactual model, is essential for causal inference.
Clarifying confounding improves the design, analysis, and interpretation of research.
Proper handling of confounding is vital for valid estimation of causal effects.