doi: 10.1093/aje/kwp292.
Epub 2009 Sep 15.
The association of body mass index with health outcomes: causal, inconsistent, or confounded?
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- PMID: 19755631
- DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwp292
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The association of body mass index with health outcomes: causal, inconsistent, or confounded?
Am J Epidemiol.
.
Abstract
According to the definition of confounding in a causal diagram, the association of body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) with health-related outcomes is almost always noncausal, attributable to confounding by weight and perhaps height. The same conclusion holds for any other deterministic derivation from weight and height. No causal knowledge is gained by estimating a nonexistent effect of body mass index.
Comment in
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Invited Commentary: Causal diagrams and measurement bias.Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Oct 15;170(8):959-62; discussion 963-4. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwp293. Epub 2009 Sep 15. Am J Epidemiol. 2009. PMID: 19755635 Free PMC article.
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