Riskiryhmiin
Riskiryhmiin is the Finnish term for risk groups, referring to subpopulations that have a higher probability of experiencing a specific health outcome or exposure than the general population. In public health and epidemiology, identifying risk groups helps prioritize prevention, screening, vaccination, and resource allocation. Risk group classification can be based on age, chronic diseases, immunocompromised status, pregnancy, occupation, socioeconomic factors, ethnicity, geography, or behavioral factors such as smoking or risky sexual conduct. The selection of risk groups is typically informed by observational studies, surveillance data, and risk modeling, using metrics such as relative risk, odds ratios, and population-attributable fractions.
Applications include prioritizing vaccination during outbreaks or shortage situations, guiding cancer or infectious disease screening programs,
Critics argue that risk-group approaches can oversimplify heterogeneity within groups and overlook individuals who do not