Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (38)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by PEARCE, N.
Right arrow Articles by CHECKOWAY, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by PEARCE, N.
Right arrow Articles by CHECKOWAY, H.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 127, No. 4: 851-856
Copyright © 1988 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

research-article

CASE-CONTROL STUDIES USING OTHER DISEASES AS CONTROLS: PROBLEMS OF EXCLUDING EXPOSURE-RELATED DISEASES

NEIL PEARCE1,2, and HARVEY CHECKOWAY1

1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC 27514
2Department of Community Health, Wellington School of Medicine, Wellington Hospital Wellington, New Zealand

Reprint requests to Dr. Neil Pearce

Exclusion criteria are examined in case-control studies which include persons with other diseases in the control group. Theoretically, a sample of the study base should not exclude persons who develop exposure-related diseases before, during, or after the time period in which the case occurred. This principle also generally applies when controls are sampled from the subset of persons with other diseases generated by the same study base. In particular, If the incidence rates (assuming completeness of ascertainment) for all other diseases combined are similar in the exposed and nonexposed populations, then controls should be sampled from all other diseases, regardless of their relation to exposure. On the other hand, If the composite incidence rate for other diseases is greater (or less) in the exposed population, then it may be necessary to exclude controls with diseases positively (or negatively) associated with exposure. Additionally, considerable care should be taken when sampling controls from persons with specific diseases which are apparently "unrelated" to exposure because confounding may be introduced by exposure-related determinants of the control disease(s). To remove such confounding, it is necessary to control for risk factors for both the study disease and the control disease(s).

epidemiologic methods; research design


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Ann OncolHome page
F. Bravi, L. Scotti, C. Bosetti, R. Talamini, E. Negri, M. Montella, S. Franceschi, and C. La Vecchia
Self-reported history of hypercholesterolaemia and gallstones and the risk of prostate cancer
Ann. Onc., June 1, 2006; 17(6): 1014 - 1017.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Int J EpidemiolHome page
J. Alguacil, M. Porta, F. G Benavides, N. Malats, M. Kogevinas, E. Fernandez, A. Carrato, J. Rifa, and L. Guarner
Occupation and pancreatic cancer in Spain: a case-control study based on job titles
Int. J. Epidemiol., December 1, 2000; 29(6): 1004 - 1013.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Stat Methods Med ResHome page
S. Wacholder
Design issues in case-control studies
Statistical Methods in Medical Research, December 1, 1995; 4(4): 293 - 309.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.