Illustrating bias due to conditioning on a collider

Int J Epidemiol. 2010 Apr;39(2):417-20. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyp334. Epub 2009 Nov 19.

Abstract

That conditioning on a common effect of exposure and outcome may cause selection, or collider-stratification, bias is not intuitive. We provide two hypothetical examples to convey concepts underlying bias due to conditioning on a collider. In the first example, fever is a common effect of influenza and consumption of a tainted egg-salad sandwich. In the second example, case-status is a common effect of a genotype and an environmental factor. In both examples, conditioning on the common effect imparts an association between two otherwise independent variables; we call this selection bias.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Epidemiologic Research Design*
  • Humans
  • Odds Ratio
  • Regression Analysis
  • Risk Assessment / methods
  • Selection Bias*