Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Causality in Epidemiology01:21

Causality in Epidemiology

1.8K
Causality or causation is a fundamental concept in epidemiology, vital for understanding the relationships between various factors and health outcomes. Despite its importance, there's no single, universally accepted definition of causality within the discipline. Drawing from a systematic review, causality in epidemiology encompasses several definitions, including production, necessary and sufficient, sufficient-component, counterfactual, and probabilistic models. Each has its strengths and...
1.8K
Cause and Effect01:53

Cause and Effect

12.6K
While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
12.6K
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II01:28

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II

1.4K
The Bradford Hill criteria serve as guidelines for establishing causative links in epidemiological research. Beyond Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality, key criteria also include Biological Gradient, Plausibility, Coherence, Experiment, and Analogy. These principles assist scientists in assessing the likelihood of causation in complex biological contexts. Below is a summary of these concepts:
1.4K
Obesity01:24

Obesity

1.5K
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...
1.5K
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I01:30

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I

1.4K
The Bradford Hill criteria are a group of principles that provide a framework to determine a causal relationship between a specific factor and a disease. There are nine criteria that are pivotal in assessing causality in epidemiological studies. Here's a closer look at Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality criteria with definitions and examples:
1.4K
Study Designs in Epidemiology01:20

Study Designs in Epidemiology

1.3K
Epidemiological study designs are fundamental tools for investigating the distribution, determinants, and control of health conditions in populations. They help researchers understand the relationships between exposures and outcomes, and they broadly fall into two categories: "observational" and "experimental" studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and...
1.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A global initiative to deliver precision health in diabetes.

Nature medicine·2024
Same author

Technological readiness and implementation of genomic-driven precision medicine for complex diseases.

Journal of internal medicine·2021
Same author

Clinical profiles of post-load glucose subgroups and their association with glycaemic traits over time: An IMI-DIRECT study.

Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association·2020
Same author

Heritability of Caries Scores, Trajectories, and Disease Subtypes.

Journal of dental research·2020
Same author

Birth weight and cardiac function assessed by echocardiography in adolescence: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology·2018
Same author

Established BMI-associated genetic variants and their prospective associations with BMI and other cardiometabolic traits: the GLACIER Study.

International journal of obesity (2005)·2016

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 10, 2026

A Chronic High-Intensity Interval Training and Diet-Induced Obesity Model to Maximize Exercise Effort and Induce Physiologic Changes in Rats
06:28

A Chronic High-Intensity Interval Training and Diet-Induced Obesity Model to Maximize Exercise Effort and Induce Physiologic Changes in Rats

Published on: April 28, 2023

1.4K

Causal inference in obesity research.

P W Franks1,2,3, N Atabaki-Pasdar1

  • 1Genetic & Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Center, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.

Journal of Internal Medicine
|December 10, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Obesity

Keywords:
Bayesian network analysisMendelian randomizationadipositygeneticslifestyle

More Related Videos

Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents
09:10

Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents

Published on: November 1, 2019

11.7K
Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies
14:56

Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies

Published on: May 6, 2022

5.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 10, 2026

A Chronic High-Intensity Interval Training and Diet-Induced Obesity Model to Maximize Exercise Effort and Induce Physiologic Changes in Rats
06:28

A Chronic High-Intensity Interval Training and Diet-Induced Obesity Model to Maximize Exercise Effort and Induce Physiologic Changes in Rats

Published on: April 28, 2023

1.4K
Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents
09:10

Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents

Published on: November 1, 2019

11.7K
Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies
14:56

Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies

Published on: May 6, 2022

5.3K

Area of Science:

  • Obesity research
  • Causal inference
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Obesity is a significant risk factor for numerous severe diseases and premature death.
  • Observational studies, often used to link obesity to health outcomes, are susceptible to bias and confounding.
  • Establishing causal links is crucial for effective disease prevention and treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review barriers in obesity research that hinder causal inference.
  • To discuss analytical methods, like Mendelian randomization, for overcoming these research obstacles.
  • To systematically review evidence on the causal relationships between adiposity and various health conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review.
  • Analysis of existing research on obesity and health outcomes.
  • Application of Mendelian randomization principles for causal inference.

Main Results:

  • Probable causal links found between adiposity and bone health, certain cancers (colorectal, lung, kidney), cardiometabolic traits, uric acid, coronary heart disease, and venous thrombosis with pulmonary embolism.
  • Possible causal links identified for adiposity with gray matter volume, mental health disorders, esophageal cancer, kidney diseases, cataracts, and gallstones.
  • No evidence for causal relationships between adiposity and Alzheimer's disease, pancreatic cancer, venous thrombosis without pulmonary embolism, liver function, or periodontitis.

Conclusions:

  • Mendelian randomization and other analytical approaches can help clarify causal links in obesity research.
  • Adiposity is causally linked to a range of serious health conditions, underscoring the importance of weight management.
  • Further research is needed to solidify or refute potential causal relationships for other conditions.