Considerations in association studies in dermatoepidemiology

The ‘beauty’ of epidemiology is its ability to generate hypotheses. Observations in the clinic or in large datasets can be formally tested and can be used to create new insights or dismiss unsupported ideas. Observational research can identify new lines of inquiry that warrant fundamental or experimental research for validation. The ‘beasts’ within this type of research are spurious findings. These false findings can be scientifically robust and result from consensus on statistical significance (a study with 20 statistical comparisons is expected to have one significant finding owing to the consensus on a Pvalue of 0 05). More common reasons for spurious findings include undersized sample size, residual confounding, multiple comparisons, subgroup analyses without prespecified hypotheses or insufficient power.