How Do You Interpret Relative Risk and Odds Ratios?

Relative risk (RR) and odds ratios (OR) are measures of association used to determine the strength of the relationship between an exposure and an outcome. RR is the ratio of the probability of the event occurring in the exposed group versus the non-exposed group. An RR greater than 1 indicates increased risk, while an RR less than 1 indicates decreased risk. OR, often used in case-control studies, compares the odds of the outcome in exposed versus non-exposed groups. Interpretation involves assessing whether these measures are statistically significant and clinically relevant.