Author(s): Daniel J. Lauer, Anthony J. Russell, Heather N. Lynch, William J. Thompson, Kenneth A. Mundt, Harvey Checkoway
The article proposes a nine-component framework for triangulating epidemiological evidence and risk of bias assessment, specifically applied to studies on occupational formaldehyde exposure and myeloid leukemia risk. The framework aims to identify and mitigate bias by evaluating key study quality domains and synthesizing evidence from diverse studies. The authors illustrate this method by analyzing fourteen studies on formaldehyde exposure, highlighting biases in study design, participation, exposure assessment, outcome assessment, and confounding. The study concludes that while triangulation can clarify inconsistent results, further development and real-world application are needed to enhance objectivity and reproducibility.