Discussion-09

Choose one of the causality models in Chapter 9 of the textbook and use it to explain the relationships between the risk factors associated with the leading cause of death you selected in Module Four and the outcome (death from that cause). How do Hill’s criteria for causation apply to these relationships? Remember to cite references where necessary

Response one (Models of Causation)

The Pie model can be used to explain the relationships between the risk factors associated with influenza.  This model shows how there are more than one “causal mechanisms” for a disease to cause harm or death in an individual and can be different in all individuals (Friis and Sellers, 2014).  There are many components which contribute a piece of the pie when dealing with determining the risk a person has to get influenza which include age, gender, chronic issues, antibody titers, environments, contact with already sick individuals, and preventative measures (Mansiaux et al., 2014).  Even if some of these factors are added or removed from individuals they might still come done with influenza (Friis and Sellers, 2014).  In following Hill’s criteria of causality, all these factors follow the criteria showing “strength of the association, temporality, dose-response, consistency, biologic plausibility, specificity, analogy, and coherence” (Friis and Sellers, 2014). 

A model used in analyzing influenza, which is not in the book, is structural equation modeling which is defined as a “flexible and comprehensive methodology for representing, estimating, and test a theoretical model with the objective of explaining as much of the variance as possible (Ramlall, 2017).  By using this model, Mansiaux and associates were “able to obtain a coherent quantitative picture of the complex mechanisms” which occurred during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009.  This model is very valuable in developing public health policies (Mansiaux et al., 2014).  A diagram follows below showing the model.

References

Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2014). Epidemiology for public health practice. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Mansiaux, Y., Salez, N., Lapidus, N., Setbon, M., Andreoletti, L., Leruez-Ville, M., Cauchemez, S., Gougeon, M. L., Vély, F., Schwarzinger, M., Abel, L., Delabre, R. M., Flahault, A., de Lamballerie, X., … Carrat, F. (2014). Causal analysis of H1N1pdm09 influenza infection risk in a household cohort. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 69(3), 272-7.

Ramlall, Indranarain. 2017. Applied Structural Equation Modelling for Researchers and Practitioners : Using R and Stata for Behavioural Research. Vol. First edition. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1423582&site=eds-live&scope=site.