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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 16, 2026

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

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Published on: June 10, 2025

Effect Modification and Its Impact on Preventable and Attributable Fractions in the Potential Outcomes Framework.

Bronner P Gonçalves¹, Etsuji Suzuki²

¹Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey.

Journal of Epidemiology

|October 5, 2025

Summary

When exposure effects vary, preventable and attributable fractions require careful interpretation. Stratum-specific measures, weighted by subpopulation frequencies, offer a clearer understanding of public health impacts.

Keywords:

attributable fraction causality effect modification preventable fraction

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Last Updated: Jan 16, 2026

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

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Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index

Published on: January 8, 2020

Area of Science:

Epidemiology
Biostatistics
Public Health

Background:

Policy decisions require measures reflecting exposure impact and current distribution.
Preventable and attributable fractions are used, but interpretation is complex with subpopulation variation.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze preventable and attributable fractions considering effect modification.
To formally define these measures using potential outcomes and clarify stratum weighting.

Main Methods:

Utilized potential outcomes framework for formal definitions.
Analyzed weighting of different strata in total population measures.

Main Results:

Derivations show stratum-specific fractions are weighted by effect modifier frequencies among those with the outcome.
Weights are valid for preventable and attributable proportions.
Demonstrated impact of effect modification on measure interpretation through an example.

Conclusions:

When effect modification is present, reporting stratum-specific measures is recommended.
Provide information for quantifying implicit weights in total population estimates.
Formal justification for this approach is provided.