Many studies have been conducted on the effects of having a pet on the response to medical problems and on mental health. But doctors in Berlin were interested in the effects of having a pet bird on lung cancer. (I assume they were wondering if birds might cause air pollution that could lead to lung cancer.) They asked 239 patients with lung cancer and 429 controls without lung cancer whether they had a pet bird. Ninety eight of the 239 patients did have a bird, while 101 of the 429 controls had a bird. (That strikes me as a very high percentage of bird owners, but those are the data.)
Without actually doing the arithmetic on paper, what conclusions would you be likely to draw from this study?
A) Birds have nothing to do with lung cancer.
B) Birds cause lung cancer.
C) People who keep birds are more likely to have lung cancer.
D) The data are inconclusive.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The higher proportion of lung cancer patients who own birds compared to the control group without lung cancer suggests a possible association between bird ownership and lung cancer incidence.

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