In an ecological study examining per-capita sugar consumption and diabetes prevalence across 30 nations, a strong positive correlation (r = 0.85) is found. A public health official uses this to infer that individuals who consume more sugar develop diabetes. This logical fallacy is called:
- A Simpson's paradox
- B Berkson's bias
- C Ecological fallacy (atomistic fallacy in reverse) ✓
- D Confounding by indication
Correct answer: C. Ecological fallacy (atomistic fallacy in reverse)
Explanation
Ecological fallacy (also called the ecological correlation fallacy) occurs when group-level associations are incorrectly applied to individual-level inferences. The correlation between national averages does not guarantee that sugar-consuming individuals within those nations are the ones developing diabetes. Simpson's paradox involves reversal of associations after stratification. Berkson's bias is a hospital-based selection bias. Confounding by indication applies to drug exposure studies.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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