Question

Advanced age (>65 years) causes weight gain via age-related changes in metabolism. Low physical activity level can also cause weight gain due to its contribution towards energy imbalance. Advanced age and low physical activity level are associated; many people who have a low physical activity level are older adults, and vice versa. If an epidemiologist wants to do a study to quantify the risk of weight gain due to the exposure of advanced age, that epidemiologist should assume that:

Low physical activity is a mediator in this context
	B) Advanced age is a mediator in this context
	C) Low physical activity is a confounder in this context
	D) Advanced age is a confounder in this context
	E) None of the above, because of the association between age and low physical activity.

Answer 1

Answer ; C) Low physical activity is a confounder in this context.

Reason ; In the given scenario, the epidemiologist is going to study about the weight gain in the old people. He is considering the cause for the weight gain as over age, he also know that it is due to the lack of physical activity, So while doing the study he should consider the above mentioned factor as a confound thing in his study and it matters to the epodemiologist.