Learning Objectives
- Understand the definition of a cause as it applies to epidemiology.
- Describe the sufficient-component-cause model using Rothman's causal heuristic.
- Distinguish between different elements of the sufficient-component-cause model: necessary and sufficient causes, and neither necessary nor sufficient component causes.
- Describe some criticisms of the sufficient-component-cause model.
- Apply Bradford Hill's "causal criteria" to the assessment of exposure-outcome association.
- Discover the limitations inherent in using "causal criteria" for causal inference.
