Sample interview questions: Can you explain the concept of attributable risk percent and its calculation in epidemiology?
Sample answer:
Attributable Risk Percent (ARP):
The attributable risk percent (ARP) is a measure of the proportion of disease cases in a population that can be attributed to a specific exposure or risk factor. It is calculated as follows:
ARP = (Incidence in exposed group - Incidence in unexposed group) / Incidence in unexposed group
Interpretation:
The ARP represents the excess risk of disease associated with exposure to the risk factor. A higher ARP indicates a stronger association between the exposure and the disease.
Example:
In a study of the relationship between smoking and lung cancer, the incidence of lung cancer among smokers was found to be 20%, while the incidence among non-smokers was 5%. The ARP can be calculated as follows:
ARP = (20% - 5%) / 5% = 15%
This means that 15% of lung cancer cases in the population can be attributed to smoking.
Advantages of ARP:
- It is a simple and straightforward measure of the proportion of disease cases that can be attributed to a specific exposure.
- It can be used to compare the impact of different risk factors on a disease.
- It can be used to estimate the potentia… Read full answer