Meta Analysis of Chocolate Consumption and Cardiometabolic Disorders

Question

• Explain a “component cause” using the Rothman framework. In your answer you need to mention how sufficient and necessary causes relate to a component cause.
• Is this statement true or false? Lack of consistence does not necessarily constitute evidence against a causal association.
• Read the following paper and then answer the question below.

Buitrago-lopez et. Al. Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic revie and meta-analysis. BMJ 2011;343:d4488

http//www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d4488.full

Based on the above meta-analysis address the six main Hill criteria for assessing causation. If it is not possible to assess a criteria based on the meta-analysis then explain what type of evidence you would be looking for and the sort of study that might be needed to address that criteria. The six main Hill criteria are: Experimental Evidence; Temporality; Strength of Association; Dose response; Biological plausibility; and Consistency.

Summary

This question belongs to statistics and discusses about a component cause and meta-analysis of a paper on chocolate consumption & cardiometabolic disorders.

Word count: 287