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1-Lecture - 1 - Applied Bioststistcs 4

The document provides an introduction to biostatistics, covering essential concepts such as data types, variables, and measurement scales. It distinguishes between quantitative and qualitative variables, as well as discrete and continuous random variables. Additionally, it explains the definitions of population and sample, and outlines the four measurement scales: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio.

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14 views

1-Lecture - 1 - Applied Bioststistcs 4

The document provides an introduction to biostatistics, covering essential concepts such as data types, variables, and measurement scales. It distinguishes between quantitative and qualitative variables, as well as discrete and continuous random variables. Additionally, it explains the definitions of population and sample, and outlines the four measurement scales: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio.

Uploaded by

rhalawi806
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Applied Biostatistics

LECTURE 1 - Introduction to the course,


use of biostatistics; Types of variables

Reference Book A : Pg 1-6


1
Introduction:

Statistics:
A branch science of mathematics dealing with
collecting , organizing , summarizing , analyzing and
making inferences from data.

2
3
basic concepts
• DATA: The raw material of statistics is
data. For our purposes we may define
data as numbers.
• 2 Types :
data

Measurement Counting
Eg, height, Eg. Number of
temperature cases of covid
variable
It is a characteristic that takes on different
values in different persons, places, or things.
For example:
- heart rate,
- the heights of adult males,
- the weights of preschool children,
- the ages of patients seen in a dental clinic.
TYPES OF VARIABLES

Quantitative Variables Qualitative Variables


• Can be measured in the • Not capable of being measured but
usual sense. only categorized.
• Eg. measurements on the • Possess or not to possess some
heights of adult males, the characteristic of interest.
weights of preschool
• Measurement not possible, but we
children, and the ages of
can count the number of persons,
patients seen in a dental
clinic. places, or things belonging to various
categories.
• Counts or frequencies

• Convey information • Convey information regarding


regarding amount. attribute.
RANDOM VARIABLE

•Whenever we determine the height, weight, or age of an


individual, the result is frequently referred to as the value of
the respective variable.

•When the values obtained arise as a result of chance factors,


so that they cannot be exactly predicted in advance, the
variable is called a random variable.

•For example: adult height. When a child is born, we cannot


predict exactly his or her height at maturity. Attained adult
height is the result of numerous genetic and environmental
factors.
Types of
Random
variables

Discrete Continuous

A discrete variable A continuous variable


is characterized by gaps or can assume any value within a
interruptions in the values specified relevant interval of values
that it can assume. assumed by the variable.
For example: For example:
- The number of daily - Height,
admissions to a general - weight,
hospital, - skull circumference.
- The number of decayed, No matter how close together the
missing or filled teeth per observed heights of two people, we
child in an elementary can find another person whose
school. height falls somewhere in between.
Population

• Largest collection of entities for which we have an


interest at a particular time.
• Populations are determined or defined by our sphere of
interest
• If a population of values consists of a fixed number of
these values, the population is said to be FINITE.
• If a population consists of an endless succession of
values, the population is an INFINITE one.
SAMPLE
• Sample may be defined simply as a part of a
population.
• Example: Population - weights of all the
elementary school children enrolled in a
certain county school system.
• If we collect for analysis the weights of only a
fraction of these children, we have only a part
of our population of weights, that is, we have
a sample.
MEASUREMENT AND MEASUREMENT
SCALES
• Measurement : This may be defined as the assignment of
numbers to objects or events according to a set of rules.
• Measurement may be carried out under different sets of
rules.
• Measurement scales: We have four measurement scales:
– Nominal
– Ordinal
– Interval
– Ratio
NOMINAL SCALE/DATA
• The lowest measurement scale is the nominal scale.
• It consists of “naming” observations or classifying them into
various mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive
categories.
• the values fall into unordered categories and classes.
• Eg. Religion, Diagnosis of admitted patients, and dichotomies
as male–female, well–sick, under 65 years of age–65 and over,
etc
ORDINAL SCALE/DATA

• Whenever observations are not only different from category to


category but can be ranked according to some criterion, they are
said to be measured on an ordinal scale.
• The order (not magnitude) among categories is important.
• Example: Injuries may be classified according to their level of
severities so that 1 represents a fatal injury, 2 represents severe, 3
represents moderate and 4 represents minor injury.
• The difference between the fatal injury and the minor injury is not
necessarily be the same difference between a moderate and minor
injury
RATIO SCALE/DATA

• The highest level of measurement is the


ratio scale.
• Equality of ratios as well as equality of
intervals may be determined.
• Fundamental to the ratio scale is a true zero
point.
• The measurement of such familiar traits as
height, weight, and length makes use of the
ratio scale.
RECALL
• Population : Consists of all elements that are being
studied .
• Sample : is a subset of the population.
• Parameters: is characteristic of fact about a
population{𝜇,𝜎 2 ,N,}.
• Statistic: is characteristic of fact about a sample{𝑥ҧ
,𝑠 2 ,n}.

21
TYPES OF VARIABLES

Quantitative

Ratio Interval

Example:
Blood pressure
Example:
height
Temperature
Age
weight

22
TYPES OF VARIABLES

Qualitative

Ordinal Nominal

Example:
Example:
Race
Severity of pain
Sex, Name ,Religion
Stages of cancer
Color
Military
Blood group

23
Example
Select the variables type

Quantitative Ordinal Nominal Variable

Blood group

Educational status

Sex

Age

Color
Stages of cancer

Temperature
24

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