attributable risk

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the absolute difference in risk of an outcome between exposed and unexposed groups, measuring the amount of risk that can be attributed to the specific exposure; also known as the risk difference or excess risk, attributable risk answers the question of how much additional disease occurs in exposed individuals beyond what would be expected in the absence of exposure; unlike relative risk which expresses proportional change, attributable risk expresses the absolute public health magnitude of an association and is therefore essential for estimating the potential reduction in disease burden achievable by eliminating or reducing the exposure; population attributable risk extends this concept to estimate the fraction of disease in the total population attributable to a given exposure, informing prioritisation of preventive interventions at the population level