A causal relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer was first suspec

Question

A causal relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer was first suspected in the 1920s on the basis of clinical observations. To test this apparent association, numerous epidemiologic studies were undertaken between 1930 and 1960. Two studies were conducted by Richard Doll and Sir Austin Bradford Hill in Great Britain. The first was a case-control study begun in 1947 comparing the smoking habits of lung cancer patients with the smoking habits of other patients. The second was a cohort study begun in 1951 recording causes of death among British physicians in relation to smoking habits. Data for the cohort study were obtained from the population of physicians listed in the British Medical Register who resided in England and Wales as of October 1951. Questionnaires were mailed in October 1951 to 59,600 physicians. Usable responses to the questionnaire were received from 40,637 physicians, of whom 34,445 were males and 6,192 were females. The proportion of male to female physicians was typical of that time. What was the response rate? Explain under what circumstances this response rate might or might not affect the study results.

Explanation / Answer

The response rate is the tfraction of response recieved divided by total population

In our case it is 40637/59600=0.6818 or 68.18%

The response rate might have been affected by the fact that most of the physicians were males

If the number of female physicians were more there was a likely chance that the responce rate might have been different and the study results would have been diffrent

The number of usable responses might have been diffrent altering the response rate.

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