Accession Number:

ADA151408

Title:

From Association to Causation in Observational Studies. The Role of Tests of Strongly Ignorable Treatment Assignment,

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

WISCONSIN UNIV-MADISON MATHEMATICS RESEARCH CENTER

Personal Author(s):

• Rosenbaum, P. R.

Report Date:

1984-03-01

Pagination or Media Count:

9.0

Abstract:

If treatment assignment is strongly ignorable, then adjustment for observed covariates is sufficient to produce consistent estimates of treatment effects in observational studies. A general approach to testing this critical assumption is developed and applied to a study of the effects of nuclear fallout on the risk of childhood leukemia. R.A. Fishers advice on the interpretation of observational studies was Make your theories elaborate formally, make causal theories sufficiently detailed that, under the theory, strongly ignorable assignment has testable consequences. Originator-supplied keywords include Ignorable treatment assignment Causal effects of treatments and Unobserved covariates.

Descriptors:

• *OBSERVATION
• *STATISTICAL INFERENCE
• CHILDREN
• CONSISTENCY
• COVARIANCE
• ESTIMATES
• FALLOUT
• LEUKEMIA
• NUCLEAR RADIATION
• REPRINTS
• TEST METHODS
• THEORY

Subject Categories:

• Medicine and Medical Research
• Statistics and Probability

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE