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Attributable Risk and Relative Risk

This document discusses absolute and relative risk. Absolute risk measures the likelihood of an outcome over time without comparison, such as a 5% risk of developing bowel cancer. Relative risk compares two groups, expressed as a ratio, such as being 10 times more likely to develop a disease with a certain exposure. Communicating risk clearly is important, as absolute and relative risks can be framed differently and influence risk perception.

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94 views10 pages

Attributable Risk and Relative Risk

This document discusses absolute and relative risk. Absolute risk measures the likelihood of an outcome over time without comparison, such as a 5% risk of developing bowel cancer. Relative risk compares two groups, expressed as a ratio, such as being 10 times more likely to develop a disease with a certain exposure. Communicating risk clearly is important, as absolute and relative risks can be framed differently and influence risk perception.

Uploaded by

surabhispr
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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K.

S HEGDE MEDICAL COLLEGE


DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

“ The need of absolute and relative


comparison. ”
By- Surabhi (NU22AHPH14)
MPH 1st year

1
What is risk?
 In epidemiology, risk has been defined as “the probability of an event during
a specified period of time”

 The media often mentions risk when reporting on research, but this can
sometimes be misleading

 Risk can be explained in terms of absolute or relative risk

2
Absolute Risk
 Measures the likelihood of a particular outcome, such as developing
a disease, over a period of time, it doesn’t guarantee it will

 To determine the rates of disease by person, place, time

 Absolute risk- Incidence and prevalence

 According to Cancer Research UK, the absolute risk for developing bowel
cancer is around 5%, meaning 5 in every 100 people would be expected
to develop bowel cancer even without eating a large bacon sandwich
daily

3
Relative Risk
 Relative risk is a comparison between two groups of people, or in the
same group of people over time

 It can be expressed as a ratio

 To identify the risk factors for the disease

 Relative Risk= Incidence among exposed/Incidence among non exposed

4
Example of RR
 In an outbreak of varicella (chickenpox) in Oregon in 2002, varicella was
diagnosed in 18 of 152 vaccinated children compared with 3 of 7
unvaccinated children. Calculate the risk ratio.

 Risk of varicella among vaccinated children = 18 ⁄ 152 = 0.118 = 11.8%


Risk of varicella among unvaccinated children = 3 ⁄ 7 = 0.429 = 42.9%

Risk ratio = 0.118 ⁄ 0.429 = 0.28


5
Absolute vs. Relative Risk

6
Absolute and Relative
Risk

Example 1-

7
Example 2 -

Attributable Risk-
If 1 in 10 individuals with exposure develops the disease= 10%
and 1 in 100 individuals without exposure develop the disease= 1%

Relative Risk= 0.1/0.01= 10

Interpretation
Therefore, an individual has a 10% chance of developing the disease with
exposure (absolute risk), a 1% chance of developing the disease without
exposure (absolute risk), and they are 10 times more likely to develop the
disease if they have exposure (relative risk)

8
Risk communication
 Framing of a risk statistic

- The size of the denominator and numerator can magnify risk perception

- In one study, those told a particular type of cancer kills 2,414 out of 10,000
rated it deadlier than another, killing 24.14 out of 100

 How we communicate and interpret risk?

 Media headlines saying something “doubles your risk of cancer”

 It is vital that the general public understand the difference between


absolute and relative risk

9
To Summarize
 Relative risk  Absolute risk

• are better to assess the efficacy • are better to take decisions about
of a treatment a treatment

• help us find disparities, like if one • perspective how much benefit an


group is having better outcomes individual is likely to have from a
than another treatment

• how much more likely one group • the likelihood or probability


is to experience an outcome than of a particular event, such
another as developing a disease

10

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