The following table comes from a hypothetical case-control study that compared adults with moderate-to-severe acne (cases) to adults without acne (controls). The researchers examined the relationship between smoking and acne. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe acne in the population of interest is 35%.
Table 1. Adjusted odds ratios from logistic regression for moderate-to-severe acne. Odds ratios are adjusted for age, BMI, and alcohol consumption.
Variable Odds Ratio (95% CI)
Non-smoker (reference) 1.00
Ex-smoker 2.05 (1.02-4.23)
Current smoker 3.44 (0.98-6.46)
*p values <0.05.
How should we interpret the odds ratio of 3.44 for current smokers?
A) Current smokers have triple the risk of moderate-to-severe acne compared with non-smokers.
B) Current smokers have triple the risk of moderate-to-severe acne compared with ex-smokers.
C) Current smokers have no increase in the risk of moderate-to-severe acne, because the odds ratio is not statistically significant.
D) None of the above.
E) All of the above
Thank you guys
susie, is b correct?
why b? ref is not ex-
Wrong and quit cheating on your stats exam
What is the answer to this?
I think it's D or A Is that right?
B is not correct
D) None of the above.
To interpret the odds ratio of 3.44 for current smokers, we need to understand what an odds ratio represents in this context. The odds ratio compares the odds of an event occurring in one group (in this case, current smokers) to the odds of the event occurring in a reference group (in this case, non-smokers).
In this case, the reference group is non-smokers, which means they are being compared to current smokers. So, the odds ratio of 3.44 tells us that the odds of having moderate-to-severe acne are 3.44 times higher for current smokers compared to non-smokers.
Looking at the options:
A) Current smokers have triple the risk of moderate-to-severe acne compared with non-smokers. This option correctly interprets the odds ratio of 3.44.
B) Current smokers have triple the risk of moderate-to-severe acne compared with ex-smokers. This option is incorrect because the odds ratio is comparing current smokers to non-smokers, not ex-smokers.
C) Current smokers have no increase in the risk of moderate-to-severe acne because the odds ratio is not statistically significant. This option is incorrect because the odds ratio being statistically significant or not does not change the interpretation of the odds ratio itself.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
A) Current smokers have triple the risk of moderate-to-severe acne compared with non-smokers.