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Introduction to Biostatistics (Part-II)

The document provides an introduction to biostatistics, focusing on key concepts such as real limits, populations, and samples. It explains different types of measurement scales including nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales, detailing their strengths and weaknesses. The importance of measuring variables and establishing relationships between them is emphasized throughout the text.

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Muhammad Ali
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2 views23 pages

Introduction to Biostatistics (Part-II)

The document provides an introduction to biostatistics, focusing on key concepts such as real limits, populations, and samples. It explains different types of measurement scales including nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales, detailing their strengths and weaknesses. The importance of measuring variables and establishing relationships between them is emphasized throughout the text.

Uploaded by

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

Biostatistics

Prepared By:
Muhammad Ali Jadoon
(MSN, BSN)
Real Limits
• To define the units for a continuous variable, a
researcher must use real limits which are boundaries
located exactly half-way between adjacent categories.
• the lower or upper value for a continuous variable
measured on a ratio scale.
• Real limits are the values that represent the range of
possible values for a continuous variable when the
measurement process is finite.
• For example, a test score of 95 has the lower real
limit of 94.5 and the upper real limit of 95.4 since any
value within that range will equal 95 when rounded to a
whole number.
2
Population

• It is the largest collection of values of a


random variable for which we have an
interest at a particular time.
• For example:
• The weights of all the children enrolled in a
certain elementary school.
• Populations may be finite or infinite.
Sample

• It is a part of a population.
• Usually populations are so large that a
researcher cannot examine the entire group.
• Therefore, a sample is selected to represent
the population in a research study.
• The goal is to use the results obtained from
the sample to help answer questions about
the population.
Example
• Let's say your population was every
Pakistani citizen, and you wanted to find out
how much the average person earns.
• Time and finances stop you from knocking
on every door in Pakistan, so you choose to
ask 1,000 random people.
• This one thousand people is your sample.
Measuring Variables
• To establish relationships between variables,
researchers must observe the variables and
record their observations. This requires that
the variables be measured.
• The process of measuring a variable
requires a set of categories called a scale of
measurement and a process that classifies
each individual into one category.

6
Types of Measurement Scales
• A Nominal scale is an unordered set of
categories identified only by name. Nominal
measurements only permit you to determine
whether two individuals are the same or
different.
• A nominal scale is the 1st level of
measurement scale in which the numbers
serve as “tags” or “labels” to classify or
identify the objects.
• A nominal scale usually deals with the non-
numeric variables or the numbers that do not
have any value. 7
Types of Measurement Scales
Types of Measurement Scales
• Nominal - Strength
• Easy to generate from closed questions; large
amounts of questions can be collected quickly
• Nominal - Weakness
• Without linear scale participants may be
unable to express degrees of response; can
only use the mode as a measure of spread
Types of Measurement Scales

• An ordinal scale is an ordered set of


categories. Ordinal measurements tell you
the direction of difference between two
individuals.
• The ordinal scale is the 2nd level of
measurement that reports the ordering and
ranking of data without establishing the
degree of variation between them.
• It can be grouped, named and also ranked.
Types of Measurement Scales
Types of Measurement Scales
• Ordinal - Strength
• Indicates relative values on a linear scale
instead of just totals; more informative than
nominal data
• Ordinal - Weakness
• Gaps between the values aren't equal so a
mean cannot be used to assess central
tendency
Example:
Ranking of school students – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
Ratings in restaurants
Evaluating the frequency of occurrences
Very often
Often
Not often
Not at all
Assessing the degree of agreement
Totally agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Totally disagree
Types of Measurement Scales
• An interval scale is an ordered series of equal-
sized categories. Interval measurements identify
the direction and magnitude of a difference. The
zero point is located arbitrarily on an interval
scale.
• The interval scale is the 3rd level of
measurement scale. It is defined as a quantitative
measurement scale in which the difference
between the two variables is meaningful. In other
words, the variables are measured in an exact
manner, not as in a relative way in which the
presence of zero is arbitrary.
14
Types of Measurement Scales
• The interval scale is quantitative as it can
quantify the difference between the values
• It allows calculating the mean and median of
the variables
• To understand the difference between the
variables, you can subtract the values between
the variables
• The interval scale is the preferred scale in
Statistics as it helps to assign any numerical
values to arbitrary assessment such as feelings,
calendar types, etc.
Types of Measurement Scales
Types of Measurement Scales
• Interval - Strength
• More informative than ordinal and nominal as the
points are directly comparable because they are
all of equal value; scientific measures used to
record the distance between values are highly
reliable
• Interval - Weakness
• In interval scales that do not contain scientific
measurements there is no absolute baseline to
the scale so scoring 0 may not mean the
participant doesn't demonstrate the variable but
that the scale doesn't measure it.
Types of Measurement Scales
• A ratio scale is an interval scale where a value
of zero indicates none of the variable. Ratio
measurements identify the direction and
magnitude of differences and allow ratio
comparisons of measurements.
• The ratio scale is the 4th level of measurement
scale, which is quantitative. It is a type of
variable measurement scale. It allows
researchers to compare the differences or
intervals. The ratio scale has a unique feature. It
possesses the character of the origin or zero
points.
Types of Measurement Scales
• Ratio scale has a feature of absolute zero
• It doesn’t have negative numbers, because of its
zero-point feature
• It affords unique opportunities for statistical
analysis. The variables can be orderly added,
subtracted, multiplied, divided. Mean, median, and
mode can be calculated using the ratio scale.
• Ratio scale has unique and useful properties. One
such feature is that it allows unit conversions like
kilogram – calories, gram – calories, etc.
Types of Measurement Scales
Types of Measurement Scales
Advantages of Ratio Scale
• A ratio scale has a point zero characteristic, where the
value of the variable has no value at all. Weight, height
etc can be calculated on ratio scale because they have a
real zero value. However, the temperature cannot be
measured on this scale because zero degree celsius
doesn’t mean there is no cold or heat for that matter. But
most of the scientific variables can be measured on a
ratio scale.
• Point zero is an essential characteristic to measure a ratio
between any two variables because in the absence of
zero there is no ratio. So with aout a zero would it make
any sense to say, “Tom is driving at a speed of 100
km/hour, which is double the speed at which Thelma is
driving, which is 50 Km/hr?”

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