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PROPORTION OF DISEASE CAUSED OR PREVENTED BY A GIVEN EXPOSURE, TRAIT OR INTERVENTION1
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1974
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Epidemiologic ResearchPopulation Health SciencesLogistic AnalysisPoint EstimationPreventive MedicineEnvironmental HealthClinical EpidemiologyTrait Or Intervention1Epidemiologic MethodPrevalencePublic HealthEpidemiological PrincipleGeneral EpidemiologyInfectious Disease EpidemiologyHealth PolicyDisease Risk AssessmentRiskMarginal Structural ModelsEpidemiologyEpidemiologic ParametersHealth ConditionsHealth EffectTime-varying ConfoundingMedicineCase-control Studies
The structures of two epidemiologic parameters are explored. One, the “etiologic fraction, ” relates to markers of increased risk, and it is the proportion of disease attributable to the marker and/or to factors associated with it. The other, the “prevented fraction, ” is the equivalent of this for a marker of reduced risk. It is shown that both parameters depend—in different ways—-on the frequency of the marker among cases of the disease, and on the “standardized morbidity ratio” for those with the marker. Point estimation of these parameters is often straight-forward, particularly in case-control studies.