st: probabilistic interpretation of the word chance in french, english and spanish

["josemaria" <jmpsouza@usp.br>]

Dear Statalisters:
it is not a Stata question, but may be some can help me in  a subject 
related with the correct translation to portuguese of the expression odds 
ratio:
defining p1 as the probability of a success in group 1, the odds for group 1 
is (are?) p1/(1-p1).
defining p2 as the probability of a success in group 2, the odds for group 2 
is p2/(1-p2).
the odds ratio is [p1(1-p2)]/[p2(1-p1)]. For the interested in portuguese, I 
would translate as "raz�o das raz�es de probabilidades" (sorry for the tilde 
~).
Now, the word _chance_ is much used in portuguese, coloquially, with the 
meaning, inter alia, of possibility. But some people in Epidemiology is 
using as a translation for odds ratio the expression "raz�o de chances", 
assuming that, in English or French, in the field of Statistics, 
chance=odds. If this is true, that translation for portuguese can be 
accepted (even if I did not like it).
Then, the question: how is the probabilistic interpretation of the word 
chance? Is it p or is it p/(1-p)?
Thanks and excuses for so long a question and perhaps of little interest for 
those that do not speak portuguese.
Jose Maria


Jos� Maria Pacheco de Souza, Professor Titular
Departamento de Epidemiologia
Faculdade de Sa�de P�blica/Universidade de S�o Paulo
Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715 cep 01246-904
S�o Paulo Brasil
fones (11)3082-3886  (11)3066-7724 (11)3714-2403  (11)3768-8612
fax   (11)3082-2920  (11)3714-2403
www.fsp.usp.br/~jmpsouza
jmpsouza@usp.br




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