The newspaper reports higher rates of drowning on days when

The newspaper reports higher rates of drowning on days when ice cream consumption is high. Does that mean that eating ice cream can put you at risk of drowning? What might be the reason behind this phenomenon? Suggest a potential confounding variable that could explain the relationship between ice cream consumption and drowning rate.

Solution

The newspaper reports higher rates of drowning on days when ice cream consumption is high. Does that mean that eating ice cream can put you at risk of drowning?

No.

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What might be the reason behind this phenomenon?

In summer, when both swimming and eating ice cream are both usual, drowning will also be more than usual.

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Suggest a potential confounding variable that could explain the relationship between ice cream consumption and drowning rate.

A confounding variable could be the temperature of the environment.