Example: IN the association between education and family planning, economic status was considered as a confounder. IN the same study, can we consider education as a confounder in the association between economic status and use of family planning? Economic status was considered as a confounder and a predictor.
They can be both, it depends on your objective. If your objective to assess the relationship between education on family planning, economic status is a confounder, and if your objective is to assess the relationship between economic status and family planning, then it is a predictor.
Elias - these are the questions that determine your sample considerations. You want to anticipate the main confounders/extraneous variables and exclude them. It also depends on your methodology. If its experimental, then the rules on excluding them are stricter. If it is quasi-experimental then the rules are relaxed a little more. Either way, where you can, bet to anticipate or exclude them.
The role of the variable depends on your research objective. I personally prefer the role to assume either as predictor or confounder, and not both in one study.
They can be both, it depends on your objective. If your objective to assess the relationship between education on family planning, economic status is a confounder, and if your objective is to assess the relationship between economic status and family planning, then it is a predictor.
For a variable to be a confounder it must also be a predictor. A confounder is thus always a predictor. However a predictor is not always a confounder, as if it is the predictor of interest it cannot, by definition, 'confound' the analysis of interest.
The type of variable whether predictor or confounder will depend on study objectives.
I would like to bring an example from a published study. A study shows that minority reported significantly higher level of fatigue. However, when the socioeconomic status was confounded, the findings show that the minority actually complains less fatigue. Therefore, in this case, socioeconomic status was a better confounded, rather than a predictor. Oftentimes, we know that confounder is already a predictor.
To answer your question, yes they could be both. Nevertheless, I have a doubt that it could be both in a same study!
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Mathematics
- Statistics