2: INTRODUCTION TO BIOSTATISTICS Flashcards
2 BRANCHES OF STATISTICS
- Descriptive statistics
- Inferential statistics
refers to the different methods applied in order to summarize and present data in a form that will make them easier to analyze and interpret.
Descriptive statistics
refers to methods involved in order to make generalizations and conclusions about a target population, based on results from a sample.
Inferential statistics
a phenomenon whose values or categories cannot be predicted with certainty.
VARIABLE
TYPES OF VARIABLES
- Qualitative variables
- Quantitative variables
if the values can assume only integral or whole numbers.
Discrete
if it can attain any value including fractions or decimals.
Continuous
SCALE OF MEASUREMENT:
- Nominal variables
- Ordinal scale
- Interval scale
- Ratio scale
those that can be ranked or ordered.
Ordinal scale
the exact distance between 2 categories can be determine but the zero point is arbitrary.
Interval scale
similar with interval scale but the zero point is fixed.
Ratio scale
CATEGORIES OF DATA ACCORDING TO SOURCE:
- Primary Data
- Secondary data
those that are obtained first hand by the investigator to help him answer specifically the purpose/s of his study.
Primary Data
those that are already existing and which have obtained by other people for purposes not necessarily those of the investigators.
Secondary data
SOURCES OF DATA:
- Census
- Registries of Vital Events
- Reports of Occurrence of Notifiable Diseases
- Health records/employment records
- Family records