Work

Prevention Trials: Their Place in How We Understand the Value of Prevention Strategies

Year: 2010

Type: review

Abstract: Several key factors bear on the interpretation of prevention trials and observational studies that inform prevention strategies. These factors include the underlying disease process and aspects of the intervention: sustainability of behavior change, the time course of the intervention within the disease process, dose and duration of exposure needed to effect risk reduction, durability of the impact of intervention, and methodological problems in implementing and interpreting randomized trials and observational studies to evaluate prevention strategies. The question asked through an intent-to-treat analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) differs from that in the observational setting. Furthermore, the long duration necessary to conduct prevention trials and the resulting lack of adherence to therapy can bias results toward the null. A broader range of approaches to evaluate prevention interventions and programs with improved knowledge synthesis and translation to public health practice will speed our progress toward achieving public health and prevention of chronic diseases.

Source: Annual Review of Public Health

DOI: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.121208.131051

Authors: Graham A. Colditz, Philip R. Taylor

Institutions: Washington University in St. Louis, National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Causal Inference Techniques

Subfield: Statistics and Probability

Field: Mathematics

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Cancer Institute