Question

A researcher decides to conduct a study to observe the association between smoking cessation among long-term smokers and obesity since it has been previously well documented in the literature that smokers tend to gain weight when they stop smoking. The researcher notes that among the individuals who gain weight, many of them have developed heart problems or other medical problems that typically prevent them from exercising as much as their counterparts. In this case the individuals who developed these health problems had specific genetic markers putting them at higher risk of developing their health problems while they were smoking than their counterparts. This is an example of which of the following?

[1] Confounding

[2] Statistical interaction

[3] Misclassification bias

[4] Recall bias

Answer 1

The is an example of statistical interaction

In this case, obesity is the dependent variable and stop smoking is the independent variable. However, heart problem is 3rd variables which affect the relationship between the two and causes and interaction effect.

Misclassification bias takes place due to error in measurement.

Recall bais is the error which occurs due to error inaccurate remembering by the subjects of the study the experience from the past.

Confounding is a variable which affects the dependent and independent variables and causes a false association.