population attributable risk
Also written as: PAR — Population Attributable Risk
The proportion of disease incidence in a population that can be attributed to a specific risk factor.
Full Definition
Population attributable risk (PAR) quantifies the public health impact of risk factors for psychiatric disorders by estimating what proportion of cases could theoretically be prevented if the risk factor were eliminated. This measure combines both the strength of association between the risk factor and disorder (relative risk) and the prevalence of the risk factor in the population. PAR is particularly valuable in psychiatric epidemiology for prioritizing prevention efforts and allocating public health resources. For example, if childhood trauma has a high PAR for adult depression, this suggests that trauma prevention programs could substantially reduce population-level depression rates.
Usage
Usage note: Clearly distinguish from population attributable fraction, which is expressed as a percentage.
In Context
- "The population attributable risk for depression associated with unemployment was estimated at 12%." — Public health report
- "Authors should distinguish between individual-level and population attributable risk in their interpretations." — Editorial guidance