In: Nursing
A. Researchers conducted a case control study to identify the association between alcohol consumption and esophageal cancer among men. They enrolled 187 men with esophageal cancer and 715 men without esophageal cancer. The men were asked about their regular alcohol consumption and the men were categorized as either drinking ≥80 g/day (exposed) or <80 g/day (unexposed). Among the men with esophageal cancer, 92 drank ≥80 g of alcohol per day; 177 of the men without esophageal cancer drank ≥80 g of alcohol per day.
Calculate the odds ratio for the relationship between drinking ≥80 g/day of alcohol and esophageal cancer?
Write a 1 sentence interpretation of the odds ratio calculated in the previous question.
Write a 1 sentence interpretation of the odds ratio.
Parameters provided:
People with oesophageal cancer (cases) - 187
people without oesophageal cancer (controls) - 715
people who drank alcohol more than 80gm/day (exposed) among the cases - 92
people who drank alcohol more than 80gm/day (exposed) among the controls - 177
To calculate the odds ratio for the relationship between the exposure and the disease (cases) , a 2×2 table is used :
formula for odds ratio : ad/bc
ad/bc = 92×538 ÷ 177×95 = 2.94
Interpretation of odds ratio: OR > 1 : association is present
OR = 1 : No association
OR < 1 : Inverse association
To summarize, here, the odds ratio of 2.94 means - oesophageal cancer patients have 2.94 times more chance of reporting history of alcohol intake more than 80g/day ( exposure) as compared to the healthy people in this case control study.