Davao Medical School Foundation, Inc.

Department of Community Medicine

Biostatistics Midterm Exam 2013

Name ___________________________________ Date ______________________

Multiple choice

1. Retinitis pigmentosa is a progressive ocular disease that in some cases eventually results in
blindness. What is the distribution that is appropriate when you are interested to determine
the probability of two events occurring in 5 children?
a. Poisson c. Normal
b. Binomial d. continuous probability distribution

2. What is the probability model that deals with cancer scare where excessive number of cancer
deaths in young children occur due to dumping of industrial waste?
a. Poisson c. Normal
b. Binomial d. Continuous probability distribution

3. The ___________ is a function that assigns numeric values of different events in a sample
space?
a. discrete random variable
b. probability mass function
c. continuous random variable
d. random variable
e. None of the above

4. A _____________ is a mathematical relationship that assigns to any value r of a discrete

random variable X the probability.
a. discrete probability distribution
b. continuous probability diustribution
c. probability-mass function
d. normal distribution
e. None of the above

5. The Gaussian distribution is one that assumes:

a. binomial distribution
b. Poisson distribution
c. Normal distribution
d. discrete probability
e. None of the above

6. The ______ of a continuous random variable is the average value taken on by the random
variable.
a. Distribution
b. standard deviation
c. shape
d. expected value
e. none of the above

7. In statistics, a population consists of:

a. all people living in a country
b. all people living in the area under study
c. all subjects or objects whose characteristics are being studied
d. none of the above
8. The _______ of a continuous random variable is the squared distance of each value of the
random variable from its mean
a. Maximum permissible error or distance
b. Standard deviation
c. Variance
d. Confidence interval
e. None of the above

9. The probability of success of a single trial

a. q c. 30%
b. n d. p

10. A normal probability distribution is an example of

a. Hypergeometric distribution
b. Continuous probability distribution
c. Discrete probability distribution
d. Binomial trial
e. None of the above

11. Let A be the event that a person has normotensive diastolic blood-pressure (DBP) readings
(i.e. DBP < 90), and let B be the event that a person has borderline DBP readings (i.e. DBP 
90 and < 95). Suppose that P(A) = .7, and P(B)=.1. Let C be the event that a person has
DBP > 95. Find the probability of C.
a. 0.07
b. 0.73
c. 0.6
d. 0.8
e. None of the above

12. The rationale of this measure is to ensure an equal number of sample points on both sides of
the central location.
a) Mean
b) Median
c) Mode
d) All of the above

13. In statistics, a representative sample is the sample that:

a. contains the characteristics of the population as closely as possible
b. represents the results of a sample exactly
c. contains all people living in an area
d. none of the above

14. The z-score for 95% C.I. one-tailed test is 1.2

a. True
b. False

15. Representation of sub-groups which are homogenous are ensured:

a. Systematic sampling
b. Stratified random sampling
c. Cluster sampling
d. Simple random

16. The z-score for 99% C.I. one-tailed test is 2.32

a. True
b. False
17. The probability of failure in a single trial
a. q c. 70%
b. n d. p

18. Binomial experiments consists of ____ identical trials

a. n c. q
b. p d. d

19. If you were to conduct a research in a slum community. Houses are not listed. The best
sampling would be:
a. Systematic sampling
b. Stratified random sampling
c. Cluster sampling
d. Simple random

20. A study was done to determine the average birthweight of infants born in a hospital. What
does the average birthweight describing?
a. Data c. parameter
b. Statistic d. variable

21. How should you classify the data from the following: The rate of prenatal check-up in
Barangay x in Davao City?
a. quantitative – continuous
b. quantitative – discrete
c. qualitative

22. Requires the computation of sampling interval:

a. Systematic sampling
b. Stratified random sampling
c. Cluster sampling
d. Simple random

23. A study was done to determine the birthweight of the children in a local government hospital
in Davao0 City. Three infants were weighed and results are 500 g, 1000 g and 9500 g
respectively. “500 g, 1000 g and 9500 g” are the:
a. Data
b. Statistic
c. Parameter
d. sample

24. What is the z-score of 99% C.I. two tailed test?

c. 1.64 c. 2,23
d. 2.57

25. One of the most common laboratory tests performed on any routine medical examination is a
blood count. The two main aspects to a blood count are (1) counting the number of white
blood cells (referred to as the “white count”) and (2) differentiating white blood cells that do
exist into five categories, namely, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and
basophils (referred to as the “differential”). Both the white count and the differential are
extensively used in making clinical diagnoses. We will concentrate here on the differential,
particularly on the distribution of the number of neutrophils k out of 100 white blood cells
(which is the typical number counted). We will see that the number of neutrophils follows a
binomial distribution. Reconsider the problem above with 5 cells rather than 100 and ask the
more limited question. How many possible combinations can we attain if the second cell
 considered will be neutrophil and the remaining cells nonneutrophils given that the
probability that any one cell is a neutrophil is 0.6?
a. 10
b. 1
c. 5
d. 0.01536
e. None of the above

26. Suppose that a group of 100 males aged 60 – 64 received a new vaccines in 1986 and that 5
out of them died within the next year. How likely are at least 5 out of 100 60-64-year-old
males who received a flu vaccine to die in the next year?
a. 0.03443
b. 0.124917
c. 0.01111
d. 0.92331
e. None of the above

27. A summary measure that is computed from a sample to describe a characteristic of the
population is called
a. Parameter
b. Statistic
c. Population
d. both a and c since they are the same

28. Suppose it has been estimated that the rate of caries is 800 per 1000 school children in one
district and 600 per 1000 in another district. How large a sample of children from each
district is required to determine whether this difference is significant at the 10% level if we
wish to have an 80% of detecting the difference if its real?
a. 46.47 c. 36
b. 47 d. 94

29. Refer to Q28, what is considered ad the dependent variable?

a. treatment group
b. dental caries
c. None of the above

30. Refer to Q28, what is the value of ?

a. 1.28 c. 1.96
b. .1 d. 2.58

31. Refer to Q28, what is the value of ?

a. 0.8 c. 0.7
b. 0.6 d. None of the above

32. In a sample of 30 households from a population of 500, compute for the sampling interval, k.
a. 6
b. 0.06
c. 16.6
d. Cannot be computed

33. A local physician would like to compare the efficacy of Drug A and Drug B in terms of
reducing the creatinine among the patients with chronic renal insufficiency. Based on pilot
study, the mean creatinine of Drug A is 153.4 with a variance of 1219.8 while the mean
cratinine of Drug B was 133.0 and a variance of 1155.1. The hypothesis of no difference is
 tested at the 5% level of significance and 80% power of detecting a decrease of 20.4. How
large is the sample for each group?
a. 44.8 c. 90
b. 45 d. None of the above

34. Refer to Q33, what variable is considered as independent variable?

a. treatment group c. None of the above
b. Creatinine

35. Refer to Q33, what is considered as dependent variable?

a. Treatment group c. None of the above
b. Creatinine

36. Refer to Q33, what is the value of 2?

a. 1219.8 c. 1187.5
b. 1155.1 d. Both A and B

37. In statistics, a population consists of:

a. all people living in a country
b. all people living in the area under study
c. all subjects or objects whose characteristics are being studied
d. none of the above

38. An observation is the:

a. graph observed for a data set
b. value of a variable for a single element
c. table prepared for a data set
d. sample observed from the population

39. This distribution is widely used because of its capacity to approximate other probabilities.
a. Binomial probability distribution
b. Poisson probability distribution
c. Normal probability distribution
d. None of the above

40. Block randomization is appropriate for:

a. Large sample size c. Sample size of more than 200
b. Small sample size d. None of the above

41. Larger number of observations in the higher values of the variable being considered:
a. Skewed to the left
b. Skewed to the right
c. Normal curve
d. None of the above

42. A statistician wants to determine the total annual medical costs incurred by all U.S. states
from 1981 to 2001 as a result of health problems related to smoking. She polls each of the
fifty states annually to obtain health care expenditures, in dollars, on smoking-related
illnesses. Which one of the following is not a true statement?
a. The population is all U.S. states.
b. The sample is the same as the population.
c. The data collected are qualitative data.
d. Each state can be considered an element of the study
43. In statistics, a representative sample is the sample that:
a. contains the characteristics of the population as closely as possible
b. represents the results of a sample exactly
c. contains all people living in an area
d. none of the above

44. For lack of nomenclature, success if denoted by..

a. Y c. n
b. q d. p

45. Suppose a child is considered to have normal lung growth if his/her standardized FVC is
within 1.5 standard deviations of the mean. What proportion of children are within the
normal range?
a. 87% c. 88%
b. 78% d. None of the above

46. Trials are dependent for binomial experiment

a. True
b. False

47. The experiment yielded 3 successes and 2 failures. How many combinations of outcomes
can we achieve?
a. 3 c. 10
b. 2 d. 1

48. Experience has shown that 30 percent of all persons afflicted by a certain illness recover. A
drug company has developed a new vaccine. Ten people with the illness were selected at
random and injected with the vaccine; nine recovered shortly thereafter. Suppose that the
vaccine was absolutely worthless. What is the probability that exactly nine of ten injected by
the vaccine will recover?
a. 1 c. 0.000137781
b. 0 d. 0.00137781

49. Refer to Q48, what is the probability of success?

a. 0.3 c. 1
b. 0.7 d. 0

50. Refer to Q48, how many combinations of outcome can we attain?

a. 1 c. 9
b. 10 d. 20

51. Refer to Q48, what is the probability that at least 9 will recover?
a. p(y=9) + p(y=10) c. Both A and B are correct
b. 0.0001436859 d. None of the above

52. Suppose tree diameters of a certain species of tree from some defined forest area are assumed
to be normally distributed with mean = 8 in. and standard deviation = 2 in. Find the
probability of a tree having unusually large diameter, which is defined as > 12 in.
a. 0.977 c. 0.155
b. .023 d. None of the above

53. Diagnosing stroke strictly on the basis of clinical symptoms is difficult. A standard
diagnostic test used in clinical medicine to detect stroke in patients is the angiogram. This
test has some risks for the patient, and researchers have developed several non-invasive
techniques that they hope will be as effective as the angiogram. One such method measures
cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the brain because stroke patients tend to have lower CBF levels
than normal. Assume that in the general population, CBF is normally distributed with
 mean=75 mL/100g brain tissue and standard deviation = 17 mL/100g brain tissue. A patient
is classified as being at risk for stroke is his/her CBF is lower than 40mL/100g brain tissue.
What proportion of normal patients will be mistakenly classified as being at risk for stroke?
a. 0.980. c. 0.02
b. .001 d. None of the above

54. A discrete probability distribution assumes a step function

a. True
b. False

55. The shape of the binomial probability distribution is determined by what parameter/s?
a. Population mean c. Both A and B are correct
b. Population variance d. None of the above

56. The mode which is the point on the horizontal axis where the curve is maximum, occurs at x
= µ
a. True
b. False

57. The curve is symmetric about a vertical axis through the mean
a. True
b. False

58. The normal curve approaches the horizontal axis asymptotically as we proceed in either
direction away from the mean.
a. True
b. False

59. The total area under the curve and above the horizontal axis is equal to 1.
a. True
b. False

60. The members of the members in the each group in stratified sampling is:
a. Homogenous c. A and B is possible
b. Heterogenous d. None of the above

61. An area between any two points of a normal curve

a. PDF
b. CDF

62. An area to a left of a point

a. PDF
b. CDF

63. Find the area under the standard normal density from 0 to 1.45
a. .5 c. 0.2341
b. 0.4265 d. 0.934

64. Find the area to the left of 0

a. 0 c. 0.5
b. -.5 d. None of the above

65. What is the z-score of 90% C.I. two tailed test?

a. 1.64 c. 1,96
b. 1.28 d. 2.23
66. Subset of a sample space:
a. Observation
b. sample space
c. Event
d. element

67. What is the z-score of 95% C.I. two tailed test?

a. 1.64 c. 1.96
b. 1.90 d. 2.28

68. Each outcome in a sample space

b. Observation
c. sample space
d. element
e. none of the above

69. The duration of cigarette smoking has been linked to many diseases, including lung cancer
and various forms of heart disease. Suppose we know that among the men aged 30 – 34 who
have ever smoked, the mean number of years they smoked is 12.8 with a standard deviation
of 5.1 years. For women is this age group, the mean number of years they smoked is 9.3
with a standard deviation of 3.2. Assuming that the duration of smoking is normally
distributed, what proportion of men in this age group have smoked for more than 20 years?
a. 0.079
b. 5.6
c. 6.1
d. None of the above

70. The measurement of this descriptive statistic is very sensitive to extreme values.
a) Mean
b) Median
c) Mode
d) None of the above
Formula

a-  b-
Pr (a < b) = Pr ------- < Z < -------
 

n
p (y) = y py qn-y , y = 0, 1, 2, …, n.

x  z1-/2/n

P  z/2 pq/n

_ xi x1 + x2 +...+xn
x= --- = ----------------
n n

n+1
(1) The ------- th largest observation if n is odd.
2
n n
(2) The average of the ----- th and ----- + 1 th largest observation if n is even.
2 2

 (xi - x)2
---------------
n-1

z21-/2P(1-p)
-------------------
d2

z1- 2P(1-P) + z1-  P1(1-P1) + P2(1-P2) 2

----------------------------------------------------------
(P1 – P2)2

Z21-/22
-----------
d2

22 (z1-/2 + Z1-)2

-----------------------
(1 - 2)2