Citation

Lindholm L, Rosén M. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2000; 54(8): 617-622.

Affiliation

Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umea University, Umea, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10890864

PMCID

PMC1731717

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To identify different types of dilution bias in population-based interventions and to suggest measures for handling these methodological problems. DESIGN: Literature review plus analysis of data from a population-based intervention against cardiovascular disease in a Swedish municipality. MAIN RESULTS: The effects of an intervention on mortality and morbidity were much more diluted by non-intervening factors, dissemination to areas outside the intervention area, social diffusion, population mobility and time than by using intermediate outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Theoretically, changes in scientifically well documented risk factors, for example, intermediate outcome measures, should be preferred to using morbidity or mortality as outcome measures.

Language: en