NCRM videos

What is Confounding? by Dr Roseanne McNamee

10-02-2013

Confounding should be always be a concern for any researcher who is using observational data to address questions about causes, whether these questions arising from the health sciences, social sciences or other disciplines. Confounding is a study bias and, if not addressed, will lead to an incorrect conclusion about the size of the effect of X on Y. The bias can be in either direction, the effect can be underestimated or overestimated - and an effect can be suggested when none exists in reality.