A relative risk greater than 1 indicates what?

• A. No association
• B. Increased risk in exposed
• C. Decreased risk in exposed
• D. Inverse association

Answer: (B)

Relative risk measures how much more often an outcome occurs in people exposed to a factor compared with those not exposed. When this value is greater than 1, the outcome is more common among the exposed group, indicating an increased risk associated with the exposure. For example, if the relative risk were 2, the exposed group would have about twice the risk of the outcome compared with the unexposed group.

If the relative risk is about 1, there is no difference in risk between the two groups, meaning no association. If it is less than 1, the outcome is less common in the exposed group, which is described as a decreased risk or inverse (protective) association. Keep in mind that statistical significance and potential confounding factors influence how we interpret the size of the effect.