Biostatistics and Social Behavioral Sciences Quiz - Intro to Public and Population Health

Professor Carrier

Independent vs. Dependent Variables

The independent variable is the presumed cause or the variable manipulated by the researcher

Direction of Arrows

In causal diagrams or directed acyclic graphs (DAGs)

Temporality and Why Time Matters in Establishing Causality

Temporality requires that the exposure (cause) must precede the disease or outcome (effect) in time; it is a vital Bradford Hill criterion for establishing true causation rather than mere correlation.

Longitudinal/Cohort Studies

Observational studies that follow a group of people over time to see how exposures affect the development of disease or outcomes.

Attrition (aka losing people over time)

The loss of participants over the course of a longitudinal study due to dropouts

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)

Experimental studies where participants are randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group to test the efficacy of an intervention while minimizing confounding.

Control vs. Treatment Groups

The treatment group receives the specific intervention being tested

Why Representation Matters (Thalidomide)

Representation in clinical trials is crucial because lack of diversity (such as excluding pregnant women historically

Bradford Hill Criteria

A group of nine principles (including temporality

Null Hypothesis

The statistical assumption that there is no significant difference

The 0.05 Threshold (Alpha Level)

The standard significance level (p < 0.05) representing a 5% or lower probability that an observed result occurred purely by random chance if the null hypothesis is true.

What a P-Value Cannot Tell You

A p-value cannot tell you the magnitude of an effect

Chi-Square (Observed vs. Expected)

A statistical test used to determine whether there is a significant difference between expected frequencies and the observed frequencies in one or more categories.

Sampling Bias

A systematic error that occurs when some members of an intended population are systematically more likely to be selected in a sample than others

Confidence Intervals (CI)

A range of values

Hazard vs. Exposure vs. Risk

Exposure is contact with a factor; risk is the probability that an event will occur over a specific time; hazard is the inherent capability of a substance or situation to cause adverse effects.

Modifiable vs. Non-Modifiable Risk Factors

Modifiable risk factors can be altered through lifestyle or medical intervention (e.g.

Risk Ratios and Odds Ratios

Risk ratio compares the risk of an event among the exposed vs unexposed; odds ratio compares the odds of exposure among cases vs controls. Both are calculated from data organized in a standard 2x2 contingency table.

Hazard Ratios (Interpret)

An estimate of the ratio of the hazard rate in the treatment/exposed group to the hazard rate in the control/unexposed group

Absolute vs. Relative Risk

Absolute risk is the actual probability of an event occurring in a group; relative risk compares the risk in one group to the risk in another (e.g.

MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

A weekly epidemiological digest published by the CDC providing public health data and statistics on morbidity (illness rates) and mortality (death rates).

Types of Health Authorities and Their Purposes

Organizations like local health departments

CRAAP and RADAR Tests

Evaluation tools used to assess the credibility

Conflicts of Interest ("Follow the Money")

Situations where financial or other personal considerations compromise a researcher's or institution's professional judgment and objectivity.

Coincidence vs. Causation (MMR Vaccine Case)

The mistaken belief that because two events occurred close together in time (like the MMR vaccine timing and autism symptoms)

Equity in Data (Who Was Included and Left Out?)

The ethical imperative to examine whether historical health data sets adequately represent marginalized

What is SBS?

Social and Behavioral Sciences examine how social structures

SDOH (Social Determinants of Health)

The non-medical conditions in which people are born

Health Inequality vs. Health Inequity

Health inequality refers to measurable differences in health status between populations

Equality vs. Equity vs. Justice

Equality means giving everyone the exact same resources; equity means distributing resources based on specific needs to achieve equal opportunity; justice focuses on removing the systemic barriers and root causes that created the disparity in the first place.

County Health Rankings Model

A population health model demonstrating that community health outcomes are driven by a combination of health behaviors

Health Behavior Theories

Psychological frameworks used to explain and predict why people adopt or fail to adopt health-related behaviors.

Health Belief Model (HBM)

A health behavior theory proposing that a person's willingness to change depends on their perceptions of susceptibility

Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change)

A model proposing that people progress through five stages of behavioral change: precontemplation

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)

A theory emphasizing reciprocal determinism—the dynamic interaction between personal cognitive factors

Perceived Severity (Example Concept)

An individual's subjective assessment of the seriousness of a health condition and its potential physical

Structural and Geographic Determinants (Redlining and Place-Based Disinvestment)

Systemic policies (such as redlining) and the intentional withdrawal of financial and public resources from specific geographic neighborhoods