Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6048121 | Preventive Medicine | 2011 | 4 Pages |
The concept of causation in epidemiology can be illuminated by situating the discussion within a more general concept of causation in biology: “a causal relationship is one that has a mechanism that by its operation makes a difference”. Mechanism and difference-making are complementary, and discovery can proceed from either direction; each type of evidence can be qualitative or quantitative. An explanation becomes fully convincing only when supported by both. In biology, causation is typically stochastic and/or multiple. Multiple causation can be analysed statistically/epidemiologically, even though it is not truly (ontologically) stochastic. This requires some degree of regularity in the outcome variable, plus sufficient variation in the exposure(s). The analysis then demonstrates co-variations between exposure(s) and outcome that regularly occur. Roseâ²s important distinction of “causes of incidence” and “causes of cases” should be reconceptualised in terms of epidemiological visibility, raising the possibility of epidemiological “dark matter”.
⺠This paper analyses causation in epidemiology within a broader concept of causation. ⺠The suggested concept involves both a mechanism and making a difference. ⺠These are complementary, and evidence on causal relationships can come from either. ⺠Epidemiology requires some degree of regularity in the outcome variable. ⺠Epidemiologic visibility depends on the amount of variation in the exposure variable.