risk factor

(noun)

A variable associated with an increased risk of disease or infection.

Related Terms

Examples of risk factor in the following topics:

  • Compromised Host

    • Numerous risk factors in the hospital setting can predispose a patient to infection.
    • Numerous risk factors in the hospital setting predispose a patient to infection.
    • These risk factors can broadly be divided into three areas.
    • Patients' treatments can leave them vulnerable to infection: immunosuppression and antacid treatment undermine the body's defences, while antimicrobial therapy (removing competitive flora and only leaving resistant organisms) and recurrent blood transfusions have also been identified as risk factors.
    • Discuss the risk factors that contribute to the acquiring of nosocomial infections or hospital-acquired infections

  • Host Risk Factors

    • Long-term hospitalization or residence in a nursing home within the previous year are independent risk factors for increased colonization.
    • Risk of infection is a nursing diagnosis which is defined as "the state in which an individual is at risk to be invaded by an opportunistic or pathogenic agent (virus, fungus, bacteria, protozoa, or other parasite) from endogenous or exogenous sources. " The risk of infection depends on a number of endogenous sources.
    • Examples of risk factors include decreased immune system resulting from disease, compromised circulation caused by peripheral vascular disease, compromised skin integrity as a result of surgery, or repeated contact with contagious agents.
    • Good nutrition is necessary to reduce risk.
    • By avoiding illicit drugs, using a condom, and entering an exercise program one can improve one's risk factors.

  • Stress and Cardiovascular Disease

    • Cardiovascular disease has a number of behavioral risk factors, many of which are related to stress.
    • Cardiovascular disease has a number of behavioral risk factors, some of which are related to chronic stress.
    • Stress itself, and the physiological responses the body has to it, might be a risk factor.
    • However, it could be that high levels of stress make other risk factors (such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure) worse.
    • This shows us that stress in itself is an influential risk factor—that even in the absence of other risk factors, it can become responsible for coronary heart disease.

  • Factoring Accounts Receivable

    • Under recourse factoring, the client is not protected against the risk of bad debts.
    • Other variations include partial non-recourse, where the factor's assumption of credit risk is limited by time, and partial recourse, where the factor and its client (the seller of the accounts) share credit risk.
    • Factors never assume "quality" risk, and even a non-recourse factor can charge back a purchased account which does not collect for reasons other than credit risk assumed by the factor, (e.g., the account debtor disputes the quality or quantity of the goods or services delivered by the factor's client).
    • Counter party credit risk: risk covered debtors can be re-insured, which limit the risks of a factor.
    • Explain the business of factoring and assess the risks of the involved parties

  • The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Illness

    • The greatest single risk factor for developing schizophrenia, for example is having a first-degree relative with the disease (risk is 6.5%); more than 40% of monozygotic twins of those with schizophrenia are also affected.
    • If one parent is affected the risk is about 13%; if both are affected the risk is nearly 50%.
    • Certain non-biological (i.e., environmental) factors influence the expression of the disorder in those with a pre-existing genetic risk.
    • Individuals with a genetic vulnerability may be more likely to display negative thinking that puts them at risk for depression; alternatively, psychological factors may exacerbate a biological predisposition by putting a genetically vulnerable person at risk for other risk behaviors.
    • Increased risk-taking leads to an increased likelihood of disease.

  • Factors External to the Firm

    • The weighted average cost of capital is vulnerable to market risks, interest rate changes, inflation, economic factors, and tax rates.
    • When organizations begin weighing the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) and determining overall capital structure, there are some factors that are within the control of the organization, and some external factors that are not.
    • As markets rise and fall, the cost of capital as well as the perceived market risk (systematic risk) will naturally and relatively unpredictably fluctuate.
    • Any external factors in the form of opportunity costs or unexpected risks can impact the overall cost of capital.
    • Recognize the various external factors that may impact the weighted average cost of capital

  • Measuring Country Risk

    • An analyst grades each factor from zero to 100.
    • Four factors are:
    • Political Factors (PF) are grades of political stability.
    • For example, if an analyst weighs all factors equally, then every weight is set to 0.25, and a country's score equals the average of its four factors.
    • Thus, they could assign a greater weight to this factor and reduce the weights to the other factors.

  • Reinvestment Risk

    • Reinvestment risk is the risk that a bond is repaid early, and an investor has to find a new place to invest with the risk of lower returns.
    • Reinvestment risk is one of the main genres of financial risk.
    • Reinvestment risk is more likely when interest rates are declining.
    • Pension funds are also subject to reinvestment risk.
    • Two factors that have a bearing on the degree of reinvestment risk are:

  • Making Decisions Under Conditions of Risk and Uncertainty

    • Managing uncertainty in decision-making relies on identifying, quantifying, and analyzing the factors that can affect outcomes.
    • Types of risk include:
    • Strategic risks: These are risks that arise from the investments an organization makes to pursue its mission and objectives.
    • Other risks: Risks are very commonly associated with force majeure, or events beyond the control of the organization.
    • This can be mathematically daunting for many types of risk, especially financial risk.

  • Approaches to Assessing Risk

    • Since planned actions are subject to large cost and benefit risks, proper risk assessment and risk management for such actions are crucial to making them successful.
    • As risk carries so many different meanings, there are many formal methods used to assess or to "measure" risk.
    • For example, in many cases a critical factor is human decision making.
    • In a financial institution, enterprise risk management is normally thought of as the combination of credit risk, interest rate risk or asset liability management, market risk, and operational risk.
    • In project management, risk management can include: planning how risk will be managed, assigning a risk officer, maintaining a database of live risks, and preparing risk mitigation plans.