Final answer:
The odds ratio tells us about the association between two variables. A ratio of 1 indicates no association, a ratio less than 1 indicates an inverse association, and a ratio greater than 1 indicates a positive association.
Step-by-step explanation:
The odds ratio is a measure of association between two variables in a case-control study. It tells us the likelihood of an event occurring in one group compared to another group. Here's what the odds ratios in the question tell us:
- No association between the variables: An odds ratio of 1 indicates that there is no difference in risk between the two groups. The incidence is approximately equal in both groups, suggesting no relationship between the variables.
- Inverse association between the variables: An odds ratio less than 1 suggests a lower risk in one group compared to another. This indicates an inverse or negative association between the variables, meaning that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases.
- Positive association between the variables: An odds ratio greater than 1 suggests a higher risk in one group compared to another. This indicates a positive association between the variables, meaning that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases.