Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Science Communicator Platform

Stay connected! Follow us on X network (Twitter):
Share this content! On (X network) By
Population Attributable Fraction in Textbooks: Time to Revise Publisher



Khosravi A1, 2 ; Nazemipour M3 ; Shinozaki T4 ; Mansournia MA5
Authors
Show Affiliations
Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Epidemiology, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
  2. 2. Ophthalmic Epidemiology Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
  3. 3. Osteoporosis Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Information and Computer Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
  5. 5. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: Global Epidemiology Published:2021


Abstract

Introduction: The population attributable fraction is an important measure for assessing the impact of intervention on the disease risk in populations, but it is frequently misused in the research literature. Methods: In this study, we review the definition, calculation, interpretation and assumptions of PAF in 43 textbooks and highlight important shortcomings. Results: While the Levin formula was proposed as a method of calculation in 29 (67%) textbooks, only in 4 (9%) was the Miettinen formula or its generalization for multilevel exposure recommended to calculate a confounding-adjusted population attributable fraction. Other concepts such as generalized impact fraction and prevented and preventable fractions were briefly discussed in few textbooks. Discussion: We recommend the authors revise the textbooks in light of our proposed framework for teaching the population attributable fraction. © 2021
Related Docs
View other Related Docs
1. Methods Matter: Population Attributable Fraction (Paf) in Sport and Exercise Medicine, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2020)
2. The Effect of Smoking on Latent Hazard Classes of Metabolic Syndrome Using Latent Class Causal Analysis Method in the Iranian Population, BMC Public Health (2023)
3. Longitudinal Effects of Lipid Indices on Incident Cardiovascular Diseases Adjusting for Time-Varying Confounding Using Marginal Structural Models: 25 Years Follow-Up of Two Us Cohort Studies, Global Epidemiology (2022)
4. The Causal Effect and Impact of Reproductive Factors on Breast Cancer Using Super Learner and Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation: A Case-Control Study in Fars Province, Iran, BMC Public Health (2021)
5. Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Multiple Sclerosis Using Model-Based Standardization and Misclassification Adjustment Via Probabilistic Bias Analysis, Archives of Iranian Medicine (2023)
6. Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Breast Cancer: Probabilistic Bias Analysis for Adjustment of Exposure Misclassification Bias and Confounders, BMC Medical Research Methodology (2023)
7. Estimating the Marginal Causal Effect and Potential Impact of Waterpipe Smoking on Risk of Multiple Sclerosis Using the Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation Method: A Large, Population-Based Incident Case-Control Study, American Journal of Epidemiology (2021)
8. Protective Effect of Intensive Glucose Lowering Therapy on All-Cause Mortality, Adjusted for Treatment Switching Using G-Estimation Method, the Accord Trial, Scientific Reports (2023)
Experts (# of related papers)
View all Related Experts
Mohammad Ali Mansournia (61)
Saharnaz Nedjat (18)
Other Related Docs
9. Longitudinal Causal Effect of Modified Creatinine Index on All-Cause Mortality in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease: Accounting for Time-Varying Confounders Using G-Estimation, PLoS ONE (2022)
10. Additive Interaction Between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Some Key Risk Factors of Multiple Sclerosis: A Population-Based Incident Case–Control Study, Nutritional Neuroscience (2023)
11. The Effects of Smoking on Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components Using Causal Methods in the Iranian Population, International Journal of Preventive Medicine (2021)
12. Obesity and Diabetic Complications: A Study From the Nationwide Diabetes Report of the National Program for Prevention and Control of Diabetes (Nppcd-2021) Implications for Action on Multiple Scales, Primary Care Diabetes (2022)
13. A Practical Guide to Handling Competing Events in Etiologic Time-To-Event Studies, Global Epidemiology (2022)
14. Does Weight Mediate the Effect of Smoking on Coronary Heart Disease? Parametric Mediational G-Formula Analysis, PLoS ONE (2022)
15. Adjustment for Collider Bias in the Hospitalized Covid-19 Setting, Global Epidemiology (2023)
16. Interaction Contrasts and Collider Bias, American Journal of Epidemiology (2022)
17. Unsafe Injection Is Associated With Higher Hiv Testing After Bayesian Adjustment for Unmeasured Confounding, Archives of Iranian Medicine (2020)
18. A Checklist for Statistical Assessment of Medical Papers (The Champ Statement): Explanation and Elaboration, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2021)
19. Using Causal Diagrams for Biomedical Research, Annals of Emergency Medicine (2023)
20. Causal Diagrams for Immortal Time Bias, International Journal of Epidemiology (2021)
21. Contribution of Obesity and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Developing Cardiovascular Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study, Scientific Reports (2022)
22. To Adjust or Not to Adjust: The Role of Different Covariates in Cardiovascular Observational Studies, American Heart Journal (2021)
23. Time-Fixed Vs Time-Varying Causal Diagrams for Immortal Time Bias, International Journal of Epidemiology (2022)
24. P-Value, Compatibility, and S-Value, Global Epidemiology (2022)
25. Longitudinal Causal Effects of Normalized Protein Catabolic Rate on All-Cause Mortality in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease: Adjusting for Time-Varying Confounders Using the G-Estimation Method, American Journal of Epidemiology (2021)
26. Case–Control Matching on Confounders Revisited, European Journal of Epidemiology (2023)
27. Effect of Smoking on Breast Cancer by Adjusting for Smoking Misclassification Bias and Confounders Using a Probabilistic Bias Analysis Method, Clinical Epidemiology (2020)
28. Estimation of Generalized Impact Fraction and Population Attributable Fraction of Hypertension Based on Jnc-Iv and 2017 Acc/Aha Guidelines for Cardiovascular Diseases Using Parametric G-Formula: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (Tlgs), Risk Management and Healthcare Policy (2020)
29. Case–Control Matching: Effects, Misconceptions, and Recommendations, European Journal of Epidemiology (2018)
30. An Ad Hoc Method for Dual Adjusting for Measurement Errors and Nonresponse Bias for Estimating Prevalence in Survey Data: Application to Iranian Mental Health Survey on Any Illicit Drug Use, Statistical Methods in Medical Research (2018)
31. Recommendations for Accurate Reporting in Medical Research Statistics, The Lancet (2024)
32. Causal Methods for Observational Research: A Primer, Archives of Iranian Medicine (2018)
33. Recommendation on Unbiased Estimation of Population Attributable Fraction Calculated in Prevalence and Risk Factors of Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis Among Elderly People in China: A Population Based Cross-Sectional Study, Infectious Diseases of Poverty (2019)
34. Association of Anti-N and -S Seroprevalence in Asymptom Atic, Mildly Symptomatic, and Symptomatic Sars-Cov-2 Natural Infection, Infection# Epidemiology and Microbiology (2022)
35. Potential Biases in Studies of Acid-Suppressing Drugs and Covid-19 Infection, Gastroenterology (2021)
36. Validity and Reliability of the Persian Version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Disabilities Module, Journal of Intellectual Disabilities (2022)
37. Comparison of Corticosteroids Types, Dexamethasone, and Methylprednisolone in Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis, Global Epidemiology (2023)
38. Using Causal Diagrams to Improve the Design and Interpretation of Medical Research, Chest (2020)
39. Time-To-Event Analysis for Sports Injury Research Part 1: Time-Varying Exposures, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2019)
40. Limitations of Individual Causal Models, Causal Graphs, and Ignorability Assumptions, As Illustrated by Random Confounding and Design Unfaithfulness, European Journal of Epidemiology (2015)
41. Plant-Based Diet and Covid-19 Severity: Results From a Cross-Sectional Study, BMJ Nutrition# Prevention and Health (2023)
42. Does Motor Control Training Improve Pain and Function in Adults With Symptomatic Lumbar Disc Herniation? a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 861 Subjects in 16 Trials, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2022)
43. Prevalence of Osteosarcopenic Obesity and Related Factors Among Iranian Older People: Bushehr Elderly Health (Beh) Program, Archives of Osteoporosis (2023)
44. Handling Time Varying Confounding in Observational Research, BMJ (Online) (2017)
45. Caregiver-Related Predictors of Thermal Burn Injuries Among Iranian Children: A Casecontrol Study, PLoS ONE (2017)
46. The Impact of Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy on Childhood Asthma: Adjusted for Exposure Misclassification; Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2012, Annals of Epidemiology (2018)
47. The Implications of Using Lagged and Baseline Exposure Terms in Longitudinal Causal and Regression Models, American Journal of Epidemiology (2019)
48. Methods Matter: Instrumental Variable Analysis May Be a Complementary Approach to Intention-To-Treat Analysis and As Treated Analysis When Analysing Data From Sports Injury Trials, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2021)
49. Accounting for Time-Varying Confounding in the Relationship Between Obesity and Coronary Heart Disease: Analysis With G-Estimation, American Journal of Epidemiology (2018)
50. Household and Caregiver Characteristics and Behaviors As Predictors of Unsafe Exposure of Children to Paraffin Appliances: Methodological Issues, Burns (2017)