Population attributable fraction in textbooks: Time to revise

Population attributable fraction in textbooks: Time to revise

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Introduction: The population attributable fraction is an important measure for assessing the impact of intervention on the disease risk in populations, but it is frequently misused in the research literature.Methods: In this study, we review the definition, calculation, interpretation and assumptions of PAF in weathertech anchorage 43 textbooks and highlight important shortcomings.Results: While the Levin formula was proposed as a method of calculation in 29 (67%) textbooks, only in 4 (9%) was the Miettinen formula or its generalization for multilevel exposure recommended to calculate a confounding-adjusted population attributable fraction.Other concepts such as generalized cerini coffee and gifts products impact fraction and prevented and preventable fractions were briefly discussed in few textbooks.Discussion: We recommend the authors revise the textbooks in light of our proposed framework for teaching the population attributable fraction.