Please help! I know that E is incorrect.
Researchers conducted a case-control study to identify risk factors for kidney cancer. They asked 50 cases and 50 controls about 100 different exposures and personal characteristics, and calculated the odds ratio for kidney cancer for each risk factor. They found statistically significant odds ratios with 2 factors: coffee intake (p=.03) and cell phone usage (p=.04). The authors should conclude that:
A) Coffee and cell-phone usage increase the risk of kidney cancer.
B) The risks of coffee and cell-phone usage have been exaggerated due to the use of odds ratios.
C) These associations are likely chance findings.
D) The study had insufficient statistical power.
E)Coffee and cell-phone are statistically significant but not clinically significant risk factors for kidney cancer.
I would pick E. Out of 100 factors, P = .03 is the probability that 3 would have statistical significance.
E is not the correct answer.
If not E, I would pick C for the same reason.
To determine which option is the correct conclusion based on the information provided, we need to understand the concepts of statistical significance and clinical significance.
Statistical significance refers to the likelihood that the observed association between a risk factor and an outcome (in this case, coffee intake and cell phone usage with kidney cancer) is not due to random chance. It is typically represented by a p-value, where a p-value less than 0.05 is considered statistically significant.
Clinical significance, on the other hand, refers to the practical importance or relevance of the observed association. In other words, it asks whether the observed association has a meaningful impact on health outcomes.
Given that the researchers in this case-control study found statistically significant odds ratios for both coffee intake (p=.03) and cell phone usage (p=.04), we can conclude that the associations are not likely chance findings. Since the odds ratios are statistically significant, it means that the observed associations are unlikely to be due to random chance.
However, based on the information provided, we do not have enough context to determine the clinical significance of coffee intake and cell phone usage as risk factors for kidney cancer.
Therefore, the correct conclusion based on the information provided would be:
C) These associations are likely chance findings.