Correlation and Confounding Research Is Essay

This article is filled with many variables that are attempting to relate BMI with other social behaviors in children such as eating family meals. "Risk factors" are discussed as well, which are inherently confounding in their own right. A risk factor is not a correlation and is merely an unproven coincidence that is yet to be scientifically proven. In this study many of these confounding variables are included in the discussion such as snack food eating and physical activity. These terms are much too subjective to produce any general understanding and do not provide a clear and recognizable path to gaining further knowledge about these subjects.

Even though the study is rife with confounding variables, an acceptable argument is made by discussing some of these relationships.The authors demonstrated a reasonable case for suggesting that some of these risk factors come into play, but that method of coming into play cannot be understood through qualitative analysis. Root causes of these issues were somewhat overlooked as well as the true purpose of this study is not exactly clear but proves that some intellectual thought has been given to some of these variables in an attempt to understand a larger, and more general picture.

References

Goldfield, G.S., Murray, M.A., Buchholz, a., Henderson, K., Obeid, N., Kukaswadia, a., & Flament, M.F. (2011). Family meals and body mass index among adolescents: effects of gender. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism, 36(4), 539-546. Retrieved….....