Familial confounding or measurement error? How to interpret findings from sibling and co-twin control studies.

ABSTRACT: Epidemiological researchers often examine associations between risk factors and health outcomes in non-experimental designs. Observed associations may be causal or confounded by unmeasured factors. Sibling and co-twin control studies account for familial confounding by comparing exposure levels among siblings (or twins). If the exposure-outcome association is causal, the siblings should also differ regarding the outcome. However, such studies may sometimes introduce more bias than they alleviate. Measurement error in the exposure may bias results and lead to erroneous conclusions that truly causal exposure-outcome associations are confounded by familial factors. The current study used Monte Carlo simulations to examine bias due to measurement error in sibling control models when the observ

SUBMITTER: Gustavson K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11249619 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature