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Biostatistics: Eskindir Loha, PHD School of Public and Environmental Health Hawassa University

This document provides an introduction to biostatistics. It discusses the following key points: 1. Biostatistics is the science of collecting, summarizing, presenting, and interpreting data from biological and health studies. It involves sampling from a source population to make inferences about unknown population parameters. 2. Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and present data, while statistical inference involves using sample data to draw conclusions about populations through estimation and hypothesis testing. 3. The choice of appropriate statistical method depends on whether the outcome variable is numerical, binary, or a rate. Variables can be qualitative (categorical) or quantitative (numerical).

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118 views18 pages

Biostatistics: Eskindir Loha, PHD School of Public and Environmental Health Hawassa University

This document provides an introduction to biostatistics. It discusses the following key points: 1. Biostatistics is the science of collecting, summarizing, presenting, and interpreting data from biological and health studies. It involves sampling from a source population to make inferences about unknown population parameters. 2. Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and present data, while statistical inference involves using sample data to draw conclusions about populations through estimation and hypothesis testing. 3. The choice of appropriate statistical method depends on whether the outcome variable is numerical, binary, or a rate. Variables can be qualitative (categorical) or quantitative (numerical).

Uploaded by

eshet chaf
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Biostatistics

Eskindir Loha, PhD


School of Public and Environmental Health
Hawassa University
Introduction
Statistics
Is the science of collecting, summarizing,
presenting and interpreting data, and using
them to estimate the magnitude of
associations and test hypotheses.

The prefix ‘Bio’: applications in


biological/medical/health sciences
Statistics: types
• Descriptive statistics: is part of statistical method
that deals on the techniques for collecting,
tabulating, graphical presentation and
summarization of data.
• Statistical inference: is concerned with the logical
basis by which conclusions regarding populations
are drawn from results obtained in a sample.
– Estimation
– Hypothesis testing
Limitation of statistics
• It deals only with those subjects of inquiry
that are capable of being quantitatively
measured and numerically expressed.
Why does it exist?
• Taking sample: inevitable
• Statistics is about sample
• If we study general population: “we may not
need it.”
What we do?

Source population 1. Sampling


Study population
True, unknown
population parameter

2. Conduct the Study


P (95% CI) The estimate in
our sample: statistic
Our estimate of 

3. Statistical analysis

4. Inference
7
Our interest at this level
• Assessing the size and strength of influence of
exposure variable on outcome variable
– Exposure variable: influences outcome variable
(explanatory, independent, x-variable, risk factor)

– Outcome variable: whose variation or occurrence


we seek to understand(disease, death,...)
(response, dependent, y-variable)
How to get appropriate statistical method?

• Based on the nature of the outcome variable


of interest
– Numerical outcomes
– Binary outcomes
– Rates (measured longitudinally)
Variables
• Any aspect of an individual that is measured,
like blood pressure, or recorded, like age or sex
• Types
– Numerical (quantitative): continuous or discrete
– Categorical (qualitative): binary, multichotomous,
ordered categorical
– Rates: frequency over time
(Derived: Calculated or categorized, transformed)
VARIABLES

QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE

(CATEGORICAL) (NUMERICAL)

ORDINAL
NOMINAL CONTINUOUS
(eg. Economic DISCRETE
class) (eg. Weight, height,
(eg. Number of age, time)
employees)

DICHOTOMOUS
MULTICHOTOMOUS
(eg. Sex, alive or
dead…) (eg. Blood groups: A, B,
AB, and O)
Measurement scales
• Measurement scales are used to categorize
and/or quantify variables.
• There are four scales of measurement that are
commonly used in statistical analysis:
– Nominal
– Ordinal
– Interval, and
– Ratio
Properties of Measurement Scales
• Identity. Each value on the measurement scale has a
unique meaning.
• Magnitude. Values on the measurement scale have an
ordered relationship to one another. That is, some values
are larger and some are smaller.
• Equal intervals. Scale units along the scale are equal to one
another. This means, for example, that the difference
between 1 and 2 would be equal to the difference between
19 and 20.
• Absolute zero. The scale has a true zero point, below which
no values exist.
1. Nominal scale
• The nominal scale of measurement only
satisfies the identity property of
measurement. Values assigned to variables
represent a descriptive category, but have no
inherent numerical value with respect to
magnitude.
– Example: Gender (1=Male, 2=Female)
2. Ordinal scale
• The ordinal scale has the property of both
identity and magnitude. Each value on the
ordinal scale has a unique meaning, and it has
an ordered relationship to every other value
on the scale.
– Example: Stages (I, II, III & IV) of breast cancer
3. Interval scale
• The interval scale of measurement has the
properties of identity, magnitude, and equal
intervals.
• A perfect example of an interval scale is the
Fahrenheit scale to measure temperature. The
scale is made up of equal temperature units,
so that the difference between 40 and 50
degrees Fahrenheit is equal to the difference
between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Ratio scale
• The ratio scale of measurement satisfies all
four of the properties of measurement:
identity, magnitude, equal intervals, and an
absolute zero.
– Example: Weight, Height...
Reading assignment
• Methods of data collection

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