What Is A Confounding Variable
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Let’s say a group of researchers, or #data scientists discover that the mortality rate in Florida is 20 deaths out of 1000 people a year compared to Washington State where it is 9.8 deaths out of 1000 people.Being very concerned these researchers put in a proposal for millions of dollars to try to figure out how to decrease this mortality rate in Florida. However, they forgot to dig a little deeper. They forgot to exam the average age of the populations of the two states. If Florida’s average age is 52 and Washington’s is 25 that might play a role in the mortality rate. In this case, the age played the role of a confounding variable.A variable that is not considered but plays a role in the outcome of an event is considered a confounding factor.In epidemiology, a confounding variable refers (...)