In population attributable risk, which statement is correct?

• A. The excess risk in exposed individuals compared to unexposed.
• B. The total risk of disease in the population.
• C. The proportion of disease in the population attributed to exposure, accounting for exposure distribution.
• D. The risk reduction from an intervention.

Answer: (C)

Understanding how much disease in a population can be attributed to a risk factor helps us gauge the public health impact of that exposure. Population-level measures combine the strength of the association with how common the exposure is in the population. The statement that describes a portion of the population’s disease burden that is due to the exposure, taking into account how widespread the exposure is, aligns with this idea. It encapsulates how many cases could theoretically be prevented if the exposure were eliminated, reflecting the population-level impact rather than just the risk in a single group. The other descriptions focus on risk differences within groups, the overall population risk, or the effect of an intervention, which do not express how much of the population’s disease burden is attributable to the exposure in light of its distribution.