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Fundamentals of epidemiology - an evolving text - Are you looking ...

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i n1i<br />

wi = –––––<br />

If exposure is unrelated to the stratification variables, so that the distribution <strong>of</strong> exposed n1i /(a + c)<br />

is the same across strata as the distribution <strong>of</strong> the unexposed n0i /n0, then the ratio <strong>of</strong> exposed to<br />

unexposed in all strata must be the same as in the overall table, n1 /n0. Therefore<br />

bi n1i<br />

_____________________________________________________________________________________________<br />

www.epidemiolog.net, © Victor J. Schoenbach 2000 11. Multicausality: Confounding - 375<br />

rev. 10/28/2000, 11/2/2000, 5/11/2001<br />

n0i<br />

b n1i<br />

wi = ––––– , whose sum is simply W = –––––<br />

n0i<br />

ai<br />

a<br />

Thus, the sum <strong>of</strong> –––– is ––––––– , which equals<br />

wi bn1 / n0<br />

a / n1<br />

––––– , the overall risk ratio.<br />

b n0<br />

So, when there is no confounding, the following three summary measures are all equal:<br />

Overall incidence in exposed<br />

Overall risk (or rate) ratio = ––––––––––––––––––––––––––<br />

Overall incidence in unexposed<br />

Weighted average <strong>of</strong> incidence in exposed, across strata<br />

= ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––<br />

Weighted average <strong>of</strong> incidence in unexposed, across strata<br />

= Weighted average <strong>of</strong> stratum-specific risk (or rate) ratios<br />

With incidence odds <strong>an</strong>d odds ratios, however, the above does not apply. The overall incidence<br />

odds are simply a/c. In contrast, the average <strong>of</strong> the stratum-specific odds, weighted by the number<br />

<strong>of</strong> exposed, is the sum over all strata <strong>of</strong>:<br />

n0i

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