Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Plural
a set of data or a mass of observations
Vital, health hospital, public health statistics
Biostatistics
Biostatistics
Application of statistics to biological (life) problems
Public health
Medicine
Ecological and environment
Agriculture
Biostatistics
It is the science which deals with development and
application of the most appropriate methods for the :
Collection of data
Presentation of the collected data
Analysis and interpretation of the results
Making decisions on the basis of such analysis
Why do we need statistics?
Variation
tendency of a measurable characteristics to change with respect
to person, place and time
Example: body mass index
Statistics is necessary to analyze variability in order to
describe a certain characteristics or to make a valid
conclusion
Uses of Statictics
a. Data reduction technique
Census vs. survey
b. Objective appraisal and evaluation
Am I likely to benefit from taking this medicine?
Understanding of statistics can help anyone discriminate
between fact and fancy in daily life
c. Tool in the decision making process
What drug should I recommend for my patients?
Why Study Statistics?
1. Knowledge of statistics is essential for people going into
research, management or graduate study
2. A course in statistics should help one know when and for
what, a statistician should be consulted
Source: Rahbar, MH (n.d.). Introduction to Biostatistics . Retrieved June 12, 2007, from
http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/ppt.htm
Role of Statistics in Research
Aids the researcher in
1. Designing a research project
2. Processing, organizing, and summarizing research data
3. Quantifying variability
4. Interpreting results and drawing valid conclusions
Branches of Statistics
1. Descriptive statistics
Statistical techniques for summarizing and presenting data in a form that
will make them easier to analyze and interpret
Counts, proportions, tables, graphs, etc.
Branches of Statistics
2. Inferential statistics
Concerned with making estimated, predictions,
generalizations and conclusions about a target population
based on information from a sample
a. Estimation (point or interval)
Estimating prevalence of TB in the Philippines
b. Hypothesis testing
Testing the effectiveness of a new drug in reducing the
cholesterol levels
Process Involved in Inference
1. Statement of an objective
2. Data collection
Measurement
Methods of data collection
sampling
3. Analysis using appropriate test statistic
4. Interpretation
5. Drawing inferences regarding the population
Nature of Statistical Data
1. Expressed numerically
2. Treated as a mass or group of observations
3. Subject to variation
Constant vs Variable
Constant
Fix or unchanging measurement/phenomenon
Variable
A characteristic that can take on different values for different members of
a group or set
Changing or inconsistent measurements
Cannot be predicted with certainty
Types of variables
Quantitative Qualitative
variables variables
Quantitative Qualitative
continuous nominal
Quantitative Qualitative
discrete ordinal
Types of variable
Qualitative variables
Variables whose categories are simply used as labels to distinguish one
group from another
Numerical representation of the categories are for labeling/coding and
not for comparison (greater or less)
e.g., sex, religion, place of residence, disease status
Types of variable
Quantitative variables
Values indicate a quantity or amount and can be expressed numerically
Values can be arranged according to magnitude
e.g., age, height, weight, blood pressure
Types of variable
Quantitative variables may be
Discrete
o Can assume only integral values or whole numbers
o e.g., number of children in the family, number of beds in the
hospital
Continuous
o Can attain any value including fractions or decimals
o e.g., height, weight
Measurement
Process of assigning qualitative or quantitative information to
characteristics of people, objects or events according to set of
rules
Levels of Measurement
1. Nominal
Lowest level of measurement
A classificatory scale where the categories are used as labels only;
(does not represent qty)
Number or names which represent a set of mutually exclusive and
exhaustive classes to which individuals or objects (attributes) may
be assigned
e.g. sex (male, female),race, blood groups, psych diagnosis e.g.
Manic depressive or schizo, patient ID no.
Levels of Measurement
2. Ordinal
Same characteristics as for nominal scales with the additional
feature that the classes can be ordered or franked, however
the distance between two categories cannot be clearly
quantified
e.g. psychosocial scales (strongly disagree, disagree, agree,
strongly agree), age groups (infant, child, teenager, adult)
Levels of Measurement
3. Interval
Same characteristics as for ordinal scales with the additional
feature that the distances between all adjacent classes are equal
Conceptually, these scales are infinite, in that they have neither
beginning nor ending
Zero point is arbitrary and does not mean absence of the
characteristics
Interval measurement ratios don’t make any sense – 80 degrees
is not twice as hot as 40 degress
Levels of Measurement
4. Ratio
Same characteristics as for ordinal scales with the additional
feature that the meaningful zero point exists
Ratio of two numbers can be meaningfully computed and
interpreted
e.g. weight, height, doctor visits, number of DMF teeth
Levels of Measurement
One characteristics can be measured using different scales
Transformation
Ratio to lower level of measurements
Interval
Distance is
meaningful
Ordinal
Attributes can be
ordered
Nominal
Attributes are only
named; weakest
Summary
Definition of Biostatistics
Phenomenon of Variation
Uses of statistics
Role of Statistics in Research
Branches of Statistics
Descriptive
Inferential
o Process involve in Inference
Nature of Statistical Data
Summary
Types of Variable
Qualitative
Quantitative
o Discrete
o Continuous
Levels of Measurement
Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio