Evidence quality
Causation
A relationship where one factor directly contributes to producing an outcome.
What it means
Definition
Causation. Causation requires stronger evidence than association. deHype checks whether the study design, temporality, confounding control and consistency support the causal wording used in a headline.
What it can tell you
It can help separate an observed association from a tested causal claim.
What it cannot tell you
It cannot remove confounding or prove causation without stronger study design and analysis.
Headline trap
Why this matters in headlines
A headline should not say a food prevents disease when the study only found an association.