Exposure-preceding-outcome regarding time sequence among cohort studies in real world.
10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-6450.2018.06.031
- VernacularTitle:现实队列研究中暴露与结局的时序关系
- Author:
L L LIU
1
,
2
;
Y N HE
3
;
Q Y CAI
3
;
N Q ZHAO
4
;
Y J ZHENG
1
,
5
,
6
Author Information
1. Department of Public Health Microbiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 China
2. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 China.
3. Department of Public Health Microbiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 China.
4. Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 China.
5. Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 China
6. Key Laboratory for Health Technology Assessment, National Commission of Health and Family Planning, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Causality;
Cohort study;
Directed acyclic graphs;
Susceptible population;
Temporal precedence
- MeSH:
Causality;
Cohort Studies;
Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic;
Epidemiologic Methods;
Mass Screening;
Research Design
- From:
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology
2018;39(6):858-861
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
One of the commonly accepted merits of cohort studies (CSs) refers to the exposure precedes outcome superior to other observational designs. We use Directed Acyclic Graphs to construct a causal graph among research populations under CSs. We notice that the substitution of research population in place of a susceptible one can be used for effect estimation. Its correctness depends on the outcome-free status of the substituted population and the performance of both screening and diagnosis regarding the outcomes under study at baseline. The temporal precedence of exposure over outcome occurs theoretically, despite the opposite happens in realities. Correct effect estimate is affected by both the suitability of population substitution and the validities of outcome identification and exclusion.
