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The Use of Aggregate Data in Alcohol Epidemiology
Author(s) -
NORSTRÖM THOR
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1989.tb00777.x
Subject(s) - aggregate data , macro , per capita , consumption (sociology) , context (archaeology) , aggregate (composite) , epidemiology , alcohol consumption , econometrics , public health , survey data collection , environmental health , economics , data science , alcohol , psychology , medicine , computer science , statistics , geography , mathematics , sociology , social science , chemistry , archaeology , population , materials science , biochemistry , programming language , nursing , composite material
Summary Analyses of aggregate data have the potential of elucidating pivotal issues in alcohol epidemiology, in particular those singled out by the public health perspective, such as the impact of per capita alcohol consumption on various damage rates. This article discusses the possibilities and limitations of the two main approaches in the analysis of aggregate data, focusing upon ecological and time series data, respectively. In addition, a synthetic approach is outlined, which aims at an integration of macro and micro findings. In that context it is shown how effect measures which are normally based on micro data (relative risk and attributable fraction) can be derived from macro data.