Learning Outcomes – Relative Risks (Measures of Association)

Causality is a relationship between 2 events in which 1 event causes the other. Simply because relationships are observed between 2 variables (i.e., associations or correlations) does not imply that one variable actually caused the outcome. Demonstrating causality between an exposure and an outcome is the main objective of most published medical research. To ensure causality exists and is not an artifact of a flawed study design or other factors, various criteria must be met while showing the reproducibility (reliability), internal congruence (internal validity), and generalizability (external validity) of the study.