HYPOTHESIS

A hypothesis is a specific, testable statement or prediction about the relationship between two
or more variables. In the medical field, hypotheses often relate to the effects of treatments,
medications, or lifestyle changes on health outcomes.

Types of Hypotheses
Null Hypothesis (H0):
This is the default assumption that there is no effect or no difference. It suggests that any
observed effect in the data is due to random chance. For example:
Example: "There is no difference in blood pressure levels between patients taking Drug A and
those taking a placebo."
Alternative Hypothesis (H1 or Ha):
This is what you want to prove. It suggests that there is an effect or a difference. For example:
Example: "Patients taking Drug A have lower blood pressure levels than those taking a placebo."

Hypothesis Testing
Hypothesis testing is a statistical method used to determine whether there is enough evidence
in a sample of data to support a particular hypothesis about a population. It involves several
steps:
Steps in Hypothesis Testing

• Formulate the Hypotheses: Clearly define the null and alternative hypotheses.
• Choose a Significance Level (α): This is the threshold for deciding whether to reject the
null hypothesis. Common choices are 0.05 (5%) or 0.01 (1%). A significance level of 0.05
means you are willing to accept a 5% chance of incorrectly rejecting the null hypothesis.
• Collect Data: Gather data relevant to your hypotheses. This could involve conducting
clinical trials, surveys, or observational studies.
• Select a Statistical Test: Choose an appropriate statistical test based on the type of data
and the hypotheses. Common tests include:
o t-test (for comparing means)
o chi-square test (for categorical data)
o ANOVA (for comparing means across multiple groups)
• Calculate the Test Statistic: Use the chosen statistical test to calculate a test statistic (like
a t-value or z-value) based on your data.
 • Determine the p-value: The p-value indicates the probability of observing the data (or
something more extreme) if the null hypothesis is true. It helps you assess the strength
of the evidence against the null hypothesis.
• Make a Decision: Compare the p-value to the significance level:
o If the p-value is less than or equal to α, reject the null hypothesis (suggesting
evidence for the alternative hypothesis).
o If the p-value is greater than α, fail to reject the null hypothesis (suggesting
insufficient evidence to support the alternative hypothesis).
• Draw Conclusions: Interpret the results in the context of your research question. Discuss
what the findings mean and any implications they may have.
Example of Hypothesis Testing in the Medical Research
Let’s say researchers want to test whether a new medication (let’s call it MedX) is effective in
lowering cholesterol levels compared to a placebo.
Formulate the Hypotheses:
Null Hypothesis (H0): MedX has no effect on cholesterol levels compared to the placebo.
Alternative Hypothesis (H1): MedX lowers cholesterol levels compared to the placebo.
Choose a Significance Level: The researchers decide to use a significance level of α = 0.05.
Collect Data: They conduct a clinical trial with two groups:
Group 1 (MedX): 50 patients receive MedX.
Group 2 (Placebo): 50 patients receive a placebo.
Select a Statistical Test: The researchers choose a t-test to compare the average cholesterol levels
between the two groups.
Calculate the Test Statistic: After the trial, they measure the cholesterol levels and calculate the
average for each group. Let’s say:
Average cholesterol level for Group 1 (MedX) = 180 mg/dL
Average cholesterol level for Group 2 (Placebo) = 200 mg/dL
They then calculate the t-statistic using the formula for an independent t-test.
Determine the p-value: Using statistical software, they find that the p-value associated with their
t-statistic is 0.02.
Make a Decision:
Since the p-value (0.02) is less than the significance level (0.05), they reject the null hypothesis.
Draw Conclusions: The researchers conclude that there is significant evidence to suggest that
MedX lowers cholesterol levels compared to the placebo.
Summary
• A hypothesis is a testable prediction about a relationship between variables.
• Hypothesis testing is a systematic method for evaluating whether there is enough
evidence to support a hypothesis based on sample data.
• The process involves formulating hypotheses, collecting data, performing statistical tests,
and making decisions based on p-values.

T-test
A t-test is a statistical test used to compare the means (averages) of two groups and determine
if the difference between them is significant. It helps us check whether the difference happened
by chance or if there is a real effect.
In research, especially in the medical field, we often compare two groups—like patients who
received a new treatment versus those who received a placebo. The t-test helps us decide
whether the treatment actually worked or if the difference in health outcomes is just random.
Types of t-Tests:
Independent t-test (Unpaired t-test):
Compares the means of two different groups.
Example: Comparing blood pressure levels between two groups one taking a new drug and the
other taking a placebo.
Paired t-test (Dependent t-test):
Compares the means of the same group before and after a treatment.
Example: Checking patients’ cholesterol levels before and after taking a cholesterol-lowering
drug.
Single sample t-test
Compares the mean of one group to a known standard or population mean.
Example: Comparing the average heart rate of ICU patients to the normal population heart rate.

Example of Independent t-test:

We will perform an independent (unpaired) t-test to compare the blood sugar levels of two
groups:
Treatment group: Patients who took a new diabetes drug
Control group: Patients who took a placebo
This test will determine if the drug significantly reduces blood sugar levels compared to the
placebo.
Step 1: Define the Hypotheses
Null Hypothesis (H₀): The new drug has no effect on blood sugar levels (both groups have the
same mean blood sugar).
Alternative Hypothesis (H₁): The new drug reduces blood sugar levels significantly (the mean of
the treatment group is lower than the control group).

Step 2: Collect Data

Patient No. Treatment Group (Drug) Control Group (Placebo)

1 135 165
2 140 170
3 145 160
4 138 175
5 136 162
6 142 168
7 137 158
8 139 172

Now, we will compute the mean, standard deviation, and t-value.

Step 3: Calculate the Mean and Standard Deviation

Calculate the Mean for Each Group

The mean is given by:

Calculate the Standard Deviation for Each Group

The standard deviation (s) is calculated as:
Step 5: Find the p-value
Using a t-table or statistical software, we check the p-value for t = -11.22 with degrees of
freedom (df) = (8+8-2) = 14.
For df = 14, the p-value is much smaller than 0.05 (typically < 0.0001).
Step 6: Conclusion

Since p < 0.05, we reject the null hypothesis (H₀).

Interpretation: The new diabetes drug significantly reduces blood sugar levels compared to the
placebo.

Final Summary

• We used an independent t-test to compare blood sugar levels.

• The mean of the treatment group was 139 mg/dL, while the control group had 166.25
mg/dL.
• The t-value was -11.22, and the p-value was extremely small (< 0.05), indicating
statistical significance.
• Conclusion: The new diabetes drug is effective in lowering blood sugar levels.