An observational study finds that coffee drinkers have higher lung cancer rates than non-coffee drinkers. After adjustment for smoking, the

Question

An observational study finds that coffee drinkers have higher lung cancer rates than non-coffee drinkers. After adjustment for smoking, the association disappears. Smoking was more common among coffee drinkers. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this patient's findings?

Accepted Answer

Confounding by smoking

Answer

Length-time bias

Answer

Verification bias

Answer

Recall bias

Answer

Lead-time bias

Confounding — USMLE Step 3 MCQ

An observational study finds that coffee drinkers have higher lung cancer rates than non-coffee drinkers. After adjustment for smoking, the association disappears. Smoking was more common among coffee drinkers. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this patient's findings?