Question

The Nurses' Health Study was done to study the consequences of long-term birth control use and how it relates to heart disease. A relative risk of 2.5 was calculated from the results of the study. Interpret these results. The lowa Women's Health Study was conducted to determine the relationship between distribution of body fat (waist/hip) and incidence of chronic diseases. Given the data from this study, a relative risk of 3.16 was determined. Interpret these results.

Answer 1

The Nurses' Health Study found that long-term birth control use was associated with a 2.5 times higher risk of heart disease compared to non-users. The Iowa Women's Health Study revealed a 3.16 times higher risk of chronic diseases in individuals with higher waist/hip ratios, indicating a strong association between body fat distribution and disease incidence. Causation cannot be determined solely from relative risk, and further research is required to establish any causal relationships.