Attributable risk: advantages of a broad definition of exposure.
Classification of exposure into two levels--one consisting exclusively of unexposed individuals and the other consisting of exposed and perhaps unexposed ones--yields an unbiased estimate of attributable risk when misclassification is nondifferential. The authors advocate, therefore, the use of a broad definition of exposure when estimating attributable risk. Based on this idea, they justify a simple and robust method for estimating the overall attributable risk from several exposures that is based on a division of subjects into two groups, a baseline consisting of those unexposed to all exposures and everyone else.
Wacholder
S
S
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD.
Benichou
J
J
Heineman
E F
EF
Hartge
P
P
Hoover
R N
RN
D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015982:Bias; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000145:classification*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors
D001194:Asbestos