In epidemiology, a risk factor is a variable associated with an increased risk of disease or infection. Sometimes, determinant is also used, being a variable associated with either increased or decreased risk.
Correlation vs causation
Risk factors or determinants are correlational and not necessarily causal, because correlation does not prove causation. For example, being young cannot be said to cause measles, but young people have a higher rate of measles because they are less likely to have developed immunity during a previous epidemic. Statistical methods are frequently used to assess the strength of an association and to provide causal evidence (for example in the study of the link between smoking and lung cancer). Statistical analysis along with the biological sciences can establish that risk factors are causal. Some prefer the term risk factor to mean causal determinants of increased rates of disease, and for unproven links to be called possible risks, associations, etc.
Risk factor research has proliferated within the discipline of Criminology in recent years, based largely on the early work of Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck in the USA and David Farrington in the UK. The identification of risk factors that are allegedly predictive of offending and reoffending (especially by young people) has heavily influenced the criminal justice policies and practices of a number of first world countries, notably the UK, the USA and Australia. However, the robustness and validity of much 'artefactual' risk factor research (see Kemshall 2003) has recently come under sustained criticism for:
- Reductionism - e.g. oversimplifying complex experiences and circumstances by converting them to simple quantities, limiting investigation of risk factors to psychological and immediate social domains of life, whilst neglecting socio-structural influences;
- Determinism - e.g. characterising young people as passive victims of risk experiences with no ability to construct, negotiate or resist risk;
In Information security, Risk factor is a collectively name for circumstances affecting the likelihood or the impact of a security risk.
Definitions
FAIR
Factor Analysis of Information Risk (FAIR) is devoted to the analysis of different factors influencing the IT risk. It decompose at various levels, starting from the first level Loss Event Frequency and Probable Loss Magnitude, going on examining the asset, the threat agent capability compared to the vulnerability (computing) and the security control (also called countermeasure) strength, the probability that the agent get in contact and actually act against the asset, the organization capability to react to the event and the impact on stakeholders.
ISACA
Risk factors are those factors that influence the frequency and/or business impact of risk scenarios; they can be of different natures, and can be classified in two major categories:.
Environmental, further subdivided in:
Internal environmental factors are, to a large extent, under the control of the enterprise, although they may not always be easy to change.
External environmental factors are, to a large extent, outside the control of the enterprise.
The algorithm works out someone’s risk based on a number of factors including age, sex, ethnicity and whether or not they have other medical conditions such as heart failure, high blood pressure, ...
In a report published a few days back, a brokerage firm revealed that Pakistan’s perceived risk of default has declined 88 per cent; Pakistan’s CDS spread has come down from its peak of 12,388 basis points (bps) in November 2022 to 1,493bps.
Some breeds and unspayed female dogs are more at risk, as are middle-aged, older and obese animals ... The major risk factors are obesity and increasing age. Other factors include genetics, physical ...
... she has implemented to reduce her risk of her cancer returning ... Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.
Furthermore, evidence is shaky on whether these drugs actually cause aggressive or violent behaviour or if external factors – such as substance use, or being already prone towards risk, violence and low self-controlare skewing the data.
On the other hand, the most significant risk factor ... Other risk factors for sudden death during winter include sleeping with one’s head under a blanket, drunk sleeping and smoking outdoors, Hung said.
… It’s really about learning suicide risk factors, warning signs and finding out … how they’re doing and if there are any changes in their thoughts and feelings around the holidays.” Some of those risk factors and signs include the following.
The software works out someone’s risk based on a number of factors including age, sex, ethnicity and whether or not they have other medical conditions including heart failure, high blood pressure, ...
... to the increase in risk of dementia.Vitamin D lowers blood sugar levels and helps in regulating weight and obesity which is a major risk factor for diabetes.116746558How to increase Vitamin D?1.
The algorithm works out someone’s risk based on a number of factors including age, sex, ethnicity and whether or not they have other medical conditions including heart failure, high blood pressure, ...
He stressed the importance of vaccination, particularly for high-risk groups, and reassured the public that all vaccines mentioned are safe and thoroughly researched and tested.Factors that can ...
... to reduce their risk of infection.” ... Factors that can increase the risk of severe respiratory viral illnesses include ageing, chronic heart and lung diseases, cancer, diabetes, and immunosuppression.
These statements are based on current expectations of management, however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ ...
The truth is diet is only a very small risk factor when it comes to cancer ...It's a simple lifestyle tweak, and it could reduce your risk of breast cancer by up to 60 per cent ... There are two reasons why drinking can raise your risk of breast cancer.
In discussing key risk factors driving this alarming rise, the study’s authors pointed to dietary factors, alcohol consumption and tobacco use as the primary contributors to the most common early-onset cancers in 2019.
