Risk Factor Graphs
Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 2.4.7
Risk Factor Graphs
When considering risk factors, scientific data uses samples (small set of data):
Sampling
- A sample of people is taken and the incidence of a risk factor is counted, as well as the incidence of the disease.
Plotting data
- From the sampled data, a graph (e.g. a bar chart) can be plotted, showing the incidence of the disease for those who have the risk factor and the incidence of the disease for those without.
Plotting data (2)
- If the risk factor can have a range of risk (e.g. number of cigarettes smoked a day) a scatter diagram can be plotted, showing the incidence of the disease plotted against the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Test yourself on Risk Factor Graphs
What are the most common types of graphs used for plotting risk factors?
What correlation (relationship) does this graph show?
What happens to a person's risk of developing type II diabetes as they get older?
A person's grandmother had breast cancer caused by a BRCA2 gene variant, and their own disease risk rises with age. What type of risk factors are the BRCA2 gene variant and increasing age?
Why is a scatter diagram, rather than a bar chart, used to show cancer risk against the number of cigarettes smoked per day?