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Causal and Associational Language in Observational Health Research: A Systematic Evaluation.
- Source :
-
American journal of epidemiology [Am J Epidemiol] 2022 Nov 19; Vol. 191 (12), pp. 2084-2097. - Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- We estimated the degree to which language used in the high-profile medical/public health/epidemiology literature implied causality using language linking exposures to outcomes and action recommendations; examined disconnects between language and recommendations; identified the most common linking phrases; and estimated how strongly linking phrases imply causality. We searched for and screened 1,170 articles from 18 high-profile journals (65 per journal) published from 2010-2019. Based on written framing and systematic guidance, 3 reviewers rated the degree of causality implied in abstracts and full text for exposure/outcome linking language and action recommendations. Reviewers rated the causal implication of exposure/outcome linking language as none (no causal implication) in 13.8%, weak in 34.2%, moderate in 33.2%, and strong in 18.7% of abstracts. The implied causality of action recommendations was higher than the implied causality of linking sentences for 44.5% or commensurate for 40.3% of articles. The most common linking word in abstracts was "associate" (45.7%). Reviewers' ratings of linking word roots were highly heterogeneous; over half of reviewers rated "association" as having at least some causal implication. This research undercuts the assumption that avoiding "causal" words leads to clarity of interpretation in medical research.<br /> (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Subjects :
- Humans
Causality
Language
Biomedical Research
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1476-6256
- Volume :
- 191
- Issue :
- 12
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- American journal of epidemiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 35925053
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwac137