On the Additive and Multiplicative Models of Relative Risk

✍ Scribed by Dr. Ralph L. Kodell; D. W. Gaylor

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 672 KB
• Volume: 31
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0323-3847
• DOI: 10.1002/bimj.4710310317

✦ Synopsis

Two popular models of absence of synergism in epidemiologic cohort studies are analyzed and compared. It is shown that the statistical concept of the union of independent events that traditionally haa given rise to the "additive" model of relative risk can ale0 generate the "multiplicative" model of relative risk. In fact, the aame eet of approximating conditions can be used to generate both models, which suggeste a lack of identifiability under the traditional approach.

An alternate approach is proposed in this paper. The new approach doee not require the aasumption that background risk factors are independent from causal agcnts of interest. The concept of ''dose additivity" is discussed.