Discussion:
In 1965, Sir Austin Bradford Hill proposed guidelines for assessing causality from epidemiological studies. His intention was not for these guidelines to be used in a rigid manner but rather to be used generally to help in the assessment of disease causation. In recent years, other causal models have been developed, including the Rothman sufficient-component cause model and the web of causation.
Find an epidemiological research article that uses one of the models of causation discussed in the Learning Resources.
• Do you agree with the author's choice of causal model? Why or why not? Provide evidence to support your assessment.
• What are the implications for public health policy, given the evidence for causality presented in the article?