Dementia Causes in Indigenous Australian Population

Questions and Answers

1.8%

4.2% (correct)

16.7%

8.3%

It allows for comparison of event likelihoods in different groups.

It quantifies the proportion of disease in a population caused by a specific risk factor. (correct)

It helps predict the likelihood of an outcome within a specific population.

It helps compare exposure rates between different outcome groups.

18.75%

42.0%

83.0% (correct)

95.7%

Both the prevalence of the exposure and the toxicity of the exposure. Signup and view all the answers

It measures the likelihood of an outcome within a specific group over time. Signup and view all the answers

Randomized controlled trials. Signup and view all the answers

They are used to compare exposure rates between different outcome groups when incidence data is not available. Signup and view all the answers

Only a small proportion of the population is exposed to the risk factor. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

A study on dementia in First Nations populations in Australia found that 4.2% of cases were linked to social isolation.
Understanding population attributable fractions is crucial for public health, allowing policymakers to prioritize interventions based on specific risk factors.

PAF quantifies the proportion of disease in a population caused by a particular risk factor.
Example from Doll & Hill's 1950 case control study indicated that smoking accounted for 83% of lung cancer deaths in England and Wales.
The effectiveness of PAF is influenced by both the toxicity of the exposure and the proportion of the population exposed to it.

Absolute Risk: Measures the likelihood of an outcome in a specific population over a set period without comparisons to other groups.
Risk Ratios: Useful for comparing event likelihood across different groups, applicable in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or cohort studies.
Odds Ratios: Effective for comparing exposures among different outcome groups when incidence data isn't available, commonly used in case-control studies.

Attributable Risk: Indicates excess disease or mortality linked to a specific risk factor.
Population Attributable Risk (PAR) and Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) refer to the additional population risk attributable to particular exposures.

PAF serves as a valuable tool for public health planning by identifying health outcome proportions due to specific factors, aiding decision-making processes.