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Question 694
Statistics → Epidemiology
Classification
Question
SSBAQuestion Header
Statistics
Question Stem
When assessing whether an observed association represents disease causation, which feature requires the proposed causal exposure to occur before the disease outcome?
Options
A
Analogy
B
Coherence
C
Plausibility
D
Specificity
E
Temporality
Explanation
Temporality requires the proposed causal factor or exposure to precede the disease outcome. temporality among the considerations used when assessing disease causation, together with strength, specificity, biological gradient, plausibility, coherence, experiment and analogy. Of these, temporality directly addresses the chronological relationship between the proposed cause and its effect.
Option Validity
A) Analogy considers similarities with established causal relationships.
B) Coherence considers whether the proposed relationship fits with existing knowledge.
C) Plausibility concerns whether a biologically credible mechanism exists.
D) Specificity concerns the relationship between a particular exposure and outcome rather than their chronological order.
Further Reading
Saxena - MRCOG-1 Basic Sciences, Chapter 10: Epidemiology/Statistics, Printed p.288.