In analytic epidemiology, the dependent variable is:

• A. The variable that is manipulated by the researcher
• B. The variable being measured to see if it changes in response to exposure
• C. A fixed baseline metric
• D. The confounding variable

Answer: (B)

The dependent variable is the outcome you measure to see if exposure has an effect. It’s the response that researchers watch to determine whether exposure leads to a change. In analytic epidemiology, the exposure (or treatment) is the independent variable, while the outcome you assess—such as a health measurement or disease status—is the dependent variable. Baseline metrics may be recorded for comparison, but they are not the variable you’re testing for change due to exposure. Confounding variables are other factors that could distort the relationship and are addressed in the analysis. For example, in a study examining whether a new program reduces blood pressure, blood pressure is the dependent variable.