1. What is Relative Risk?

Relative Risk (RR) is a measure of the strength of association between an exposure and an outcome. It compares the risk of an event occurring in an exposed group versus a control group, providing valuable insights in epidemiological studies and clinical research.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Relative Risk formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Exposed Cases} \) — Number of cases in the exposed group
• \( \text{Exposed Total} \) — Total number of individuals in the exposed group
• \( \text{Control Cases} \) — Number of cases in the control group
• \( \text{Control Total} \) — Total number of individuals in the control group

Explanation: The formula calculates the ratio of the incidence rate in the exposed group to the incidence rate in the control group, providing a dimensionless measure of risk association.

3. Importance of Relative Risk Calculation

Details: Relative Risk is crucial for understanding the relationship between risk factors and outcomes in medical research, public health studies, and clinical trials. It helps determine whether an exposure increases or decreases the risk of a particular outcome.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter all four required values as positive integers. Ensure that cases do not exceed total numbers in each group. The calculator will compute the Relative Risk ratio, which is dimensionless.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a Relative Risk of 1 mean?
A: RR = 1 indicates no association between exposure and outcome. The risk is the same in both exposed and control groups.

Q2: What does RR > 1 indicate?
A: RR > 1 suggests increased risk in the exposed group compared to controls. The exposure may be a risk factor for the outcome.

Q3: What does RR < 1 indicate?
A: RR < 1 suggests decreased risk in the exposed group, potentially indicating a protective effect of the exposure.

Q4: How is Relative Risk different from Odds Ratio?
A: RR uses incidence rates while OR uses odds. RR is more intuitive for risk interpretation, while OR is often used in case-control studies.

Q5: When should confidence intervals be calculated for RR?
A: Confidence intervals should always be reported with RR to indicate the precision of the estimate and statistical significance.