32 Questions
What is a characteristic that takes on more than one value called?
Variable
Which of the following is an example of a variable?
All of the above
What is the independent variable in a study?
The cause
What is the dependent variable in a study?
The effect
In a sample of 50 males, what is gender considered as?
A constant
What is an example of a dependent variable in the context of the study on the impact of smoking on colorectal cancer risk?
Colorectal cancer risk
What is an example of an independent variable in the context of the study on HBV infection?
Economic status
What is a snapshot of a data collection form called?
A questionnaire
What is the main characteristic of nominal data?
It falls into categories with no natural numerical value.
What type of data is the number of traffic accidents an example of?
Discrete data
Which of the following is an example of ordinal data?
Education level
What is the main characteristic of continuous data?
It is not restricted to specific values.
What type of data is the variable 'diabetes' an example of?
Binary data
What is the main characteristic of discrete data?
It can only take on specific values.
Which of the following is an example of continuous data?
Birth weight
What type of data is the variable 'age' an example of?
Continuous data
What is the primary concern of public health?
To discover the causes of disease to make disease prevention possible
What is the main focus of epidemiology?
To discover the causes of disease to make disease prevention possible
What is the definition of statistics?
A science concerned with the collection, presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data, and making decisions based on such analysis
What is biostatistics primarily concerned with?
The application of statistical methods to biological sciences and medical/health-related disciplines
What is a population in the context of biostatistics?
A collection of persons/things or characteristics in which we have the interest to investigate
What is a sample in the context of biostatistics?
A subset of a population
What is an example of a population in biostatistics?
The collection of persons living in Dubai city who test positive for hepatitis C
What is the key characteristic of a sample in biostatistics?
It is a representative part of the population
What type of data is 'Age' in Example 1?
Quantitative continuous
What is the primary goal of Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)?
To visualize distributions and relationships
What is the difference between a parameter and a statistic?
A parameter is a characteristic of a population, while a statistic is a characteristic of a sample
What type of data is 'Blood type' in Example 6?
Categorical nominal
What is the primary purpose of Descriptive Statistics?
To summarize and describe the characteristics of a sample
What type of data is 'Nutritional status' in Example 7?
Categorical ordinal
What is the primary goal of reducing bias in statistical analysis?
To minimize the difference between the sample and population averages
What is the primary step in data analysis?
Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)
Study Notes
Introduction to Biostatistics
- Biostatistics is a branch of statistics that deals primarily with the biological sciences and medical/health-related disciplines.
- Public health investigations use quantitative methods, which combine epidemiology and biostatistics.
Population and Sample
- A population is a collection of persons/things or characteristics in which we have an interest to investigate.
- A sample is a subset of a population.
- A sample should be a representative part of the population.
Variables
- A variable is a characteristic that takes on more than one value.
- Examples of variables include age, gender, business income and expenses, country of birth, capital expenditure, class grades, eye color, and vehicle type.
- If a sample consists of 50 males, then gender is not a variable in this sample but is termed a constant.
Independent and Dependent Variables
- The independent variable is the cause, and its value is independent of other variables in your study.
- The dependent variable is the effect, and its value depends on changes in the independent variable.
Data Types/Measurement Scales
- Nominal variables measure values that fall into categories with no natural numerical value.
- Ordinal variables fall into categories that can be qualitatively ordered but have no intrinsic numerical value.
- Discrete data are measured quantities that take on specific values, usually integers.
- Continuous data are measured quantities not restricted to specific values.
Central Dogma of Statistics
- A parameter is any summarization of the elements of a population.
- A statistic is any summarization of the elements of a sample.
- The goal is to minimize the difference between the sample statistic and the population parameter.
Descriptive Statistics/Exploratory Data Analysis
- EDA allows us to visualize distributions and relationships, detect errors, and assess assumptions for confirmatory analysis.
- EDA is the first step of data analysis, and it's essential to look at your data to understand it.
This quiz covers the basics of biostatistics in public health, including measurement and quantitative methods used in epidemiology to prevent disease.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
