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Results for “causality”

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PubMed1995

Concepts of illness causality in a pediatric sample. Relationship to illness duration, frequency of hospitalization, and degree of life-threat.

In this study, we evaluated whether previous medical experience is associated with more sophisticated conceptions of illness causality among 64 children ages 4 to 16 years old. Although age and prorated IQ were found to be strongly related to children's illness causality concepts, duration of medical condition, total hospitalization days, and higher life-threat medical conditions were not associated with more sophisticated illness concepts in this pediatric sample. Using multiple regression analysis, age and IQ accounted for 59% of the variance in illness causality scores; contrary to expectations, medical experience variables (i.e., diagnosis, illness duration, hospitalizations) were not significant predictors of children's illness concepts. These findings highlight the need for pediatricians to guard against overestimating the illness concepts of children with prior medical experience.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Who I am, who we are, and why: links between emotions and causal attributions for self- and group discrepancies.

Discrepancies between people's ought selves and their actual selves and their ideal selves and actual selves predict the emotions that individuals experience. The authors predicted that internal versus external causal attributions for self-discrepancies should moderate the relationship between self-discrepancies and emotions, resulting in more refined predictions for both agitation- and dejection-related emotions and for two additional types of emotion, namely, anger-related and discontent-related emotions. Results of two studies generally supported the predictions that agitation-related emotions and dejection-related emotions were positively associated with actual-ought discrepancies and actual-ideal discrepancies, respectively, only when causal attributions for the discrepancies were internally based. Anger-related emotions and emotions of discontent were positively associated with actual-ought and actual-ideal discrepancies, respectively, primarily when causal attributions were externally based. Study 2, which addressed group discrepancies and group-based emotions, generally replicated the findings when group identification was high, yielding a more complex model of the link between discrepancies and emotions.

Causality↗

PubMed1991

A longitudinal study of the causal relationship between social networks and health of the poor frail elderly.

Research over the past two decades has documented a positive relationship between social support and health. The causal interpretation of these associations has, however, been unclear. This study aims at filling the gap in our understanding of this causal link with respect to the frail poor elderly. The main questions addressed are, Does lack of social ties affect the elderly's health? or are unhealthy people less likely to establish and maintain social ties? We employed a time-series panel design to overcome problems of causal explanations and examine social networks and health in a sample of 3,559 poor frail elderly, participants of the California Multipurpose Senior Services Project. The results indicate that social networks have a positive effect on health (though only in the short run). However, neither the subjective nor the objective health measures have a significant effect on social networks. Implications for intervention are discussed.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Diabetes: the layperson's theories of causality.

The authors examine laypersons' perspectives of illness: the content of causal explanations of diabetes and differences in explanations according to gender. Qualitative research was carried out in Guadalajara, Mexico. A nonprobabilistic sample of 20 diabetic individuals participated in interviews, and the content of the interviews was analyzed. On the origin of their condition, participants offered explanations that match neither the biomedical model nor any other formal causal theory. Participants attributed the onset of diabetes to socioemotional circumstances linked to their life experiences and practices. Men attributed causality to work and social circumstances outside the home; women attributed it to family life and domestic circumstances. The authors discuss how lay theories can be useful for the reorganization of health services.

Adult↗

PubMed2026

Investigation of the Causal Association Between Biological Aging Indicators and Vascular Disease Through Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Analysis.

ObjectiveThis study used two-sample Mendelian Randomization to investigate the causal link between multiple biological aging indicators and vascular disease.MethodsSummary genetic data was obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) focusing on aging-related exposures and various vascular disease outcomes. The exposures included granulocyte proportions, PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1), telomere lengths, and the Frailty Index. The primary analysis employed the Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) method to estimate causal relationships, supported by MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode methods. Sensitivity analyses, including Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger regression, leave-one-out test, and the MR Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO) test, were conducted to evaluate heterogeneity and pleiotropy.ResultsThe analysis revealed distinct pathways after sensitivity adjustments. A higher genetically predicted Frailty Index was associated with an increased risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm (OR=2.5935, 95% CI: 1.3936-4.8268, P=0.0026, false discovery rate (FDR)=0.0475), atherosclerosis excluding cerebral and coronary sclerosis (OR=2.0262, 95% CI:1.5179-2.705, P=1.66×10-6, FDR=1×10-4), and arterial thromboembolic events (OR = 4.0306, 95% CI: 1.7133-9.4818, P = 0.0014, FDR = 0.0337). Conversely, longer telomere length demonstrated a strong, specific protective effect against abdominal aortic aneurysm (OR=0.5008, 95% CI:0.4111-0.6100, P=6.42×10-12, FDR=9.25×10-10), indicating that shorter telomere length is associated with an increased risk of AAA. Furthermore, a lower granulocyte proportion was causally linked to an increased risk of thoracic aortic aneurysm (OR=0.0181, 95% CI: 0.0014-0.2376, P=0.0023, FDR=0.0465).ConclusionThis study identifies three genetic pathways linking biological aging to vascular disease, offering new molecular targets for its prevention and treatment.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Estimation of the average causal effect among subgroups defined by post-treatment variables.

BACKGROUND: In clinical trials, when comparing treatments in a subgroup of patients defined by an event that occurred after randomization is required, the standard estimator that adjusts for the post-treatment variable does not have a causal interpretation. PURPOSE: To address this problem, we formulate clinically relevant causal estimands using the principal stratification framework developed by Frangakis and Rubin, and propose a new estimation method for the principal causal effect. METHODS: We consider the comparison of the duration of response among patients who responded to chemotherapy in a cancer clinical trial. Our goal is to estimate the local average treatment effect, that is, the treatment difference among patients who would have responded to either treatment. In order to identify this estimand, we make the assumption that the value of the counterfactual indicator of response is independent of both the actual response status and the outcome variable of interest conditional on the covariates. The proposed estimator is a weighted average of the standard estimators for responders where weights are the probability that the response would have occurred had the patient received the other treatment. RESULTS: The proposed method is applied to data from a randomized phase III clinical trial in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. The average difference for the duration of response among responders estimated by the proposed method and the standard one was 16.1 (days) and 9.5 (days), respectively. We also evaluate the performance of the proposed method through simulation studies, which showed that the proposed estimator was unbiased, while the standard one was largely biased. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed an estimation method for the local average treatment effect. For any type of outcome variables, our estimator can be easily constructed and can be interpreted as the treatment effect among patients who would have had the event in either treatment group.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung↗

PubMed1997

Effect of information about odor on causal ascriptions for illness.

The effect of information about detection of an odor on causal ascriptions for illness was investigated. In four different scenarios perceptions regarding the cause of a hypothetical symptomatic experience were compared for events described with and without an odor. Participants (N = 106) were asked to imagine themselves becoming ill after engaging in several common experiences, including pumping gasoline at a service station. In two scenarios participants read that they smelled an offensive odor while pumping the gasoline whereas in two other scenarios no information about an odor was provided. Further, information about gasoline described with or without odor was presented either early or late in the stimulus paragraphs. All participants then responded to questions including an open-ended question asking them to make causal attributions for their illness. Participants in the odor-suggested group ascribed the cause of illness more frequently to gasoline and perceived the probability of other potential causes as lower than did participants in the nonodor suggested group. Findings suggest that peoples' implicit theories about toxicity contain causal connections between malodorous stimuli and illness. The implications of implicit theories for perception of illness are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

An information integration approach to phenomenal causality.

Phenomenal causality was studied by using Michotte's launch event, in which successive motion of two objects evokes an immediate perception that the first motion causes the second. Information integration theory was used to address the complementary issues of invariant perceptual structure and individual differences in phenomenal causality. Three informational cues were varied conjointly: temporal and spatial contiguity of the two motions, and the ratio of their speeds. The dependent measure was a judgment of degree of causality or naturalness. The results showed that individual differences were related to these instruction conditions; the subjects showed five distinctive response patterns. Two were the modal patterns elicited by the instructions, and the others fell in between. The averaging model gave a good account of the data, with meaningful parameter estimates. Individual differences were localized in cue evaluation, whereas their integration into a unified judgment followed an invariant averaging rule. The results allow some reconciliation between Michotte and his critics.

Causality↗

PubMed1997

Predicting student satisfaction in baccalaureate nursing programs: testing a causal model.

The purpose of this study was to test a causal model for predicting the overall satisfaction of senior students with their baccalaureate nursing programs. The proposed model was primarily a sociological impact model based upon Tinto's (1975) student integration theory for predicting student departure, and Pascarella's (1985) causal model for predicting student outcomes. To test the model, a sample of 195 senior female students from five baccalaureate nursing programs in the southwestern United States was selected for step-wise regression studies and path analysis. Testing the causal model, the students' integration into the academic and social systems of their nursing programs directly explained 42% of the variance for predicting overall satisfaction. The best predictors of overall satisfaction were the students' 1) academic development, 2) satisfaction with facilities and services, 3) satisfaction with the faculty, and 4) social interaction with peers.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Intercollegiate ice hockey injuries: a causal analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships of position, mechanism of injury, type of injury, and body part injured to days lost. DESIGN: A causal analysis within a prospective cohort was used for this project. PARTICIPANTS: Seven schools from Hockey East and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference participated in this project for three consecutive competitive seasons. ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS: The independent variables were position, mechanism of injury, and body part injured. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The dependent variable was days lost due to injury. RESULTS: The entire causal model was statistically significant, with the variables of body part injured, mechanism of injury, and injury type accounting for 52% of the variance associated with days lost. The most important variable related to days lost was injury type and accounted for 43% of the variance associated with days lost. We found that fractures and dislocations resulted in an average of 22.22 days lost and sprains resulted in a mean of 13.61 days lost. CONCLUSION: The causal analysis demonstrated that body part injured, mechanism of injury, and injury type are important factors related to days lost. Those players who experience a fracture/dislocation or sprain of the lower extremity will tend to lose 2 weeks or more of participation. Studies such as this are useful in examining the multivariate circumstances surrounding an injury episode.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Confounding and causality in epidemiology].

Since the beginning of the discipline epidemiologists developed a specific methodology to assess causal relationships, even opposed to statistics. A special effort to assure unbiasedness explains the importance of the concept of confounding in epidemiology. However, there is an intrinsic conflict in the formal definition of confounding based on association criteria. This conflict is solved in practice by gathering information on the subject specific matter. Causal criteria for confounding generalize with regards to identifiability of causal relationships in observational studies.

Causality↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Causality in epidemiology: populations, individuals, and alternative explanations].

The purpose of the present paper is to review issues concerning causal reasoning in epidemiology, with special emphasis on the relationship between observation at the individual and population level. The sequence of the three sections of the paper, causality in epidemiology, individual and population, alternative explanations, reflects the need to deal with issues of research methodology mainly derived from discussions in the frame of risk assessment, decision making, regulation and legal setting. In discussing the aforementioned topics, special attention is given to the attribution of causality to a single exposure in the presence of a plurality of potential causes. As a case study, data concerning the occurrence of hepatic and pulmonary tumors among subjects exposed to vinyl chloride are considered making reference to hearings on this topic which took place in Court.

Causality↗

PubMed2000

[How does model- and situation-specific lack of knowledge affect causal inferences?].

A model proposed by Thüring (1991) for inferences based on causal knowledge was empirically tested. According to this model, two variables affect the certainty with which a causal inference is concluded: insufficiency (model-specific uncertainty) and ambiguity (situation-specific uncertainty). Within an experiment these two variables were manipulated. Both had a very significant (p < .01) influence on causal inferences. In respect to its quantity, variation of ambiguity had the effect predicted in the model. Concerning insufficiency, distinct differences between predicted and empirical ratings were found. Reasons for these deviations and model modifications resulting therefrom are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

[The causal relationship].

Only the controlled trial method, clinical equivalent to the experimental method, with its successive phases and randomization, is able to confirm a real causal relationship and quantify the risk of error (alpha). However, the study must have sufficient power and randomization must not have resulted in an unbalanced distribution of various parameters likely to influence the result. Other methods, particularly surveys and case studies, only provide presumptions of causality. This review article, illustrated by three examples from the urological literature, is designed to demonstrate the difficulties of establishing a causal relationship when possible biases and confounding factors are taken into account.

Causality↗

PubMed2001

Darwin, Veblen and the problem of causality in economics.

This article discusses some of the ways in which Darwinism has influenced a small minority of economists. It is argued that Darwinism involves a philosophical as well as a theoretical doctrine. Despite claims to the contrary, the uses of analogies to Darwinian natural selection theory are highly limited in economics. Exceptions include Thorstein Veblen, Richard Nelson, and Sidney Winter. At the philosophical level, one of the key features of Darwinism is its notion of detailed understanding in terms of chains of cause and effect. This issue is discussed in the context of the problem of causality in social theory. At least in Darwinian terms, the prevailing causal dualism--of intentional and mechanical causality--in the social sciences is found wanting. Once again, Veblen was the first economist to understand the implications for economics of Darwinism at this philosophical level. For Veblen, it was related to his notion of 'cumulative causation'. The article concludes with a discussion of the problems and potential of this Veblenian position.

Biological Evolution↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Causality in medicine].

The concept of causality is a part of every day life because man has always searched for the why of things as a way of dealing with and adapting to the world. In medicine, one of the central aims of study is identification of the factors or agents that cause disease with the intention of establishing treatments and especially, to apply preventive strategies. In this work, we conducted a brief review of the philosophical positions on causality, its biological models, as well as the tools used in clinical epidemiology to evaluate causal associations.

Causality↗

PubMed2005

Causality and methodology. Notes on thanatochronological estimations.

The authors propose some methodological considerations on thanatochronological estimations. They first consider the problem of the definition of death, and then they deal with the issue of the estimations of death time, that is, with the Post-Mortem Interval (PMI). As regards the first question, they note that it does not concern only the definition of death, but also the choice of a particular kind of definition of 'definition'. With reference to the second question, the authors suggest a causal model showing that the presence of many causal chains must be taken into consideration. Finally they discuss what 'most convenient and reliable causal chain' means for a thanatochronologist.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

[Causal "cancer personality" attribution--an expression of maladaptive coping with illness?].

In psycho-oncology, the concept of a "cancer-prone personality" has gained some attention. This notion means that persons who try to stay pseudo-normal in spite of severe life stress, suppress negative emotions, particularly anger, and sacrifice themselves for other people without uttering any personal demands, are at a high risk to develop cancer. However, it has been demonstrated by previous research that features of the cancer-prone personality could only be found if the ill person was convinced to suffer from cancer, irrespective of what the factual diagnosis was. Thus it can be concluded that at least some aspects of the so called cancer personality might be the results of coping with the belief of having cancer. The present study had the objective to describe causal attributions to psychosocial factors in cancer patients, and to find out if these were connected with emotional state and coping. N = 120 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients were included in the study. The instruments consisted of a semi-structured interview, a check-list of subjective causal factors, self-reports and interviewer ratings on emotional state and standardised questionnaires about depression and coping. Patients who made a psychosocial causal attribution proved to suffer from greater emotional distress, to be more depressed and less hopeful than other patients. This difference seemed to be mediated by a depressive way of coping with the illness (brooding, wrangling). Thus, an attribution of the illness to psychological factors seems indicative of a maladaptive way of coping with illness. This result is supported by similar findings of previous research. The question is put up to discussion if the psychosomatic concept of a cancer personality may reflect patients' subjective theories which in turn may be the expression of their depressive coping modes.

Adaptation, Psychological↗