Term: Population Attributable Risk

Printer friendly

Glossary Definition

Last Updated: 2010-11-17

Definition:

Population Attributable Risk Percent (PAR %) is used to report:

• the proportion of cases in the population that is attributable to the exposure.
  
• the proportion of cases in the population that could be prevented if the risk factor was eliminated.
  
  

  / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /	Outcome	(i.e.: lung cancer)	/ / / / / / / /
  Exposed to Risk Factor (i.e.: smoking)	YES	NO	Total
  YES	a	b	a + b
  NO	c	d	c + d
  Total	a + c	b + d	a + b + c + d

PAR% = [(Px*(RR-1))/(1+(Px*(RR-1))]*100, where:

• RR = relative risk
  
• = incidence of the exposed / incidence of the unexposed
  
• = (a/a+b)/(c/c+d)
  
  and
  
  
• Px = population exposed/not exposed to the outcome of interest
  
• = (a+c)/(a+b+c+d)

Related terms 

• Relative Risk (RR)

References 

• Brownell M, Chartier M, Au W, Schultz J. Evaluation of the Healthy Baby Program. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2010. [Report] [Summary] (View)