Description

A 1972–1981 health survey in The Hague, Netherlands, discovered an association between keeping pet birds and increased risk of lung cancer. To investigate birdkeeping as a risk factor, researchers conducted a case–control study of patients in 1985 at four hospitals in The Hague (population 450,000). They identified 49 cases of lung cancer among the patients who were registered with a general practice, who were age 65 or younger and who had resided in the city since 1965. They also selected 98 controls from a population of residents having the same general age structure.

Usage

Format

A data frame with 147 observations on the following 7 variables.

LC

Whether subject has lung cancer

FM

Sex of subject

SS

Socioeconomic status, determined by occupation of the household's principal wage earner

BK

Indicator for birdkeeping (caged birds in the home for more that 6 consecutive months from 5 to 14 years before diagnosis (cases) or examination (control))

AG

Age of subject (in years)

YR

Years of smoking prior to diagnosis or examination

CD

Average rate of smoking (in cigarettes per day)

Source

Ramsey, F.L. and Schafer, D.W. (2002). The Statistical Sleuth: A Course in Methods of Data Analysis (2nd ed), Duxbury.

References

Holst, P.A., Kromhout, D. and Brand, R. (1988). For Debate: Pet Birds as an Independent Risk Factor for Lung Cancer, British Medical Journal 297: 13–21.

Examples