Causation in health

Causation in health refers to the relationship between a factor and a health outcome, where the factor directly influences or leads to the outcome. For example, smoking causes lung cancer by damaging cells in the lungs over time. Establishing causation involves evidence that changing or eliminating the factor reduces the risk of the outcome, and that the factor consistently appears when the outcome occurs. Understanding causation helps identify risk factors and develop strategies to prevent or treat health issues effectively.