Skip to main content

Relationship

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Public Health

Definition

A relationship is a connection between two or more variables usually assessed by a measure of association. Informally a term that describes a case where one variable is depending on the other, or a case where values of one variable vary together with values of the other variable(s). The relationships may be causal, meaning that the changes in one variable depend on the changes in another; or they may be correlational, meaning that the variables tend to change at the same time, but there is not necessarily a causal relationship between the two variables. A relationship between two variables that can be described by a straight line when variable values are plotted on a graph is a linear relationship.

Cross-References

Association

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,079.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 549.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer-Verlag

About this entry

Cite this entry

(2008). Relationship . In: Kirch, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Public Health. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5614-7_2974

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5614-7_2974

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5613-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5614-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics