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(1) Confounder must be independently associated with dependent variable Y. (2) A

ID: 3371847 • Letter: #

Question

(1) Confounder must be independently associated with dependent variable Y. (2) A confounder can not be a risk factor for disease (3) Confounder could be an intermediary step in the causal pathway between independent variable X and dependent variable Y. (4) No statistical test is needed to determine if confounding is present.
Choices A) 1 & 3 B) 1 & 2 C) 1 & 4 D) 2 & 3 Which of the following choices about confounding are true? (1) Confounder must be independently associated with dependent variable Y (2) A confounder can not be a risk factor for disease. (3) Confounder could be an intermediary step in the causal pathway between independent variable X and dependent variable Y. (4) No statistical test is needed to determine if confounding is present. C (1) and (3) C(1) and (2) C (1) and (4) (2) and (3)

Explanation / Answer

ANSWER: C) 1 & 4

(1) Confounder must be independently associated with dependent variable Y.

By definition  a confounder (also confounding variable, confounding factor or lurking variable) is a variable that influences both the dependent variable and independent variable causing a spurious association so it must be associated with Y.

(4) No statistical test is needed to determine if confounding is present.

Confounding is a causal concept, and as such, cannot be described in terms of correlations or associations.Confounding is defined in terms of the data generating model so it doesn't have a test.