Understanding Health Research: Correlation and Causation

Format: Websites

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Language/s: English

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Resource Link: Visit the Website

Target Audience: Self-directed learning

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Short Description:

A discussion of the difference between correlation and causation.

Key Concepts addressed:

• 1-3 Association is not the same as causation

Details

Understanding Health Research: A tool for making sense of health studies: Correlation and causation

Science is often about measuring relationships between two or more factors. For example, scientists might want to know whether drinking large volumes of cola leads to tooth decay, or they might want to find out whether jumping on a trampoline causes joint problems.

• Correlation is when two factors (or variables) are related, but one does not necessarily cause the other
• Causation is when one factor (or variable) causes another

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