Simulation study on the validity of the average risk approach in estimating population attributable fractions for continuous exposures.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The population attributable fraction (PAF) is an important metric for estimating disease burden associated with causal risk factors. In an International Agency for Research on Cancer working group report, an approach was introduced to estimate the PAF using the average of a continuous exposure and the incremental relative risk (RR) per unit. This 'average risk' approach has been subsequently applied in several studies conducted worldwide. However, no investigation of the validity of this method has been done.

Objective

To examine the validity and the potential magnitude of bias of the average risk approach.

Methods

We established analytically that the direction of the bias is determined by the shape of the RR function. We then used simulation models based o

SUBMITTER: Ruan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8252883 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature