Risk factors - criteria
n Three criteria need to be satisfied in order to
identify a characteristic as a risk factor:
1.  the factor must be observed to covary with the disease
•  i.e., the factor must be statistically associated with the
development of the disease
• or equivalently, the frequency of disease must be observed to
differ by category or value of the factor
2.  the presence of the risk factor ( or a relevant change in
the risk factor) must precede occurrence of the disease
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