![]() ![]() Since it is a ratio of ratios, the odds ratio is very difficult to interpret. The relative risk is easier to interpret, so the odds ratio alone is not very helpful. However, there are certain commonly occurring situations in which the estimate of the relative risk is not very good and the odds ratio can be used to approximate the relative risk of the event of interest. The odds ratio should be used as an approximation to the relative risk of the event of interest when both of the following conditions are met:
The first condition is met in this example, since the overall proportion of respondents was 9.6%. However, the design of the study was not case control, so it's safer to report 1.635 as the relative risk, rather than the value of the odds ratio. |
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Odds Ratio versus Relative Risk |