WEEK # 2 NATURE OF BIOSTATISTICS AND DATA PROCESSING

Statistics

Tool in decision making

Statistics

Tool for the formulation of good judgment

Statistics

Art of summarizing data so that non- statistician can understand it

Statistics

Science dealing with the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of numerical data

Bio

means life

Statistics

means data

Biostatistics

a special branch of statistics which deals with quantitative and qualitative aspects of vital phenomena

Health statistics

data required in the planning, administration, and evolution of health programs

Epidemiology

distribution & determinants of health-related states and events

Demography

study of human population

Genetics and Genomics

Heredity; genes and functions

Health Economics

functioning of health care system and health affecting behaviors

Descriptive and Inferential

2 branches of biostatistics

Descriptive Statistics

Methods of summarizing and presenting data

Descriptive Statistics

Computation of measures of central tendency and variability

Descriptive Statistics

Tabulation and graphical presentation

Descriptive Statistics

Facilitate understanding, analysis, and interpretation of data

Inferential Statistics

Methods of arriving at conclusions and generalizations about a target population based on information from a sample

Inferential Statistics

Estimation of parameters and hypotheses testing

Population

all members of a specified group

Sample

subset of a population

Parameter

measure of a characteristic of a Population

Constant

value of a characteristic that remains the same from person to person, from time to time or from place to place

Variable

characteristics takes on different Values

Primary Data and Secondary Data

2 types of data acc to source

Independent and Dependent

2 types of data acc to Functional Relationship

Independent

cause of data

Dependent

effect of data

Qualitative and Quantitative

2 categories of data or types of variable

Qualitative

descriptions or labels to distinguish one group from another

Quantitative

can be measured and ordered according to quantity or amount and expressed numerically

Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio

4 scale of measurements

Nominal

Simply used as names or identifiers of a category

Ordinal

Represents an ordered series of relationships

Interval

Does not have a true-zero value starting point

Ratio

Modified interval level which includes zero as a starting point

Nominal

Does not represent any amount or quantity

Data Processing

Systematic procedure to ensure that the information/data gathered are complete, consistent and suitable for analysis.

Data collection, data processing, analysis

Chronological order of Data Processing Flowchart

Data Coding

Conversion of verbal/written information into numbers which can be more easily encoded, counted and tabulated.

Field

actual value or information given by the respondent

Bracket

recorded as range of values rather than actual values

Factual

codes are assigned to a list of categories of a given variable

Pattern

applicable for questions with multiple responses

<8

Number of rules must be kept to minimum

exhaustive and mutually exclusive

Codes should be

Coding Manual

A document which contains a record of all codes assigned to the responses to all questions in the data collection forms.

Data Encoding

Entering the data/responses in a spreadsheet

Data Editing

Inspection and correction of any errors or inconsistencies in the information collected

Field and Central

2 types of editing

Field Editing

Reviewing the accomplished data collection forms

Field Editing

Decoding of abbreviations or special symbols

Field Editing

Making callbacks/messages for verification/clarification of incomplete answers

Central Editing

Checking of inconsistencies and incorrect entries after receiving the questionnaire from the field

Central Editing

Checking of encoded data

consistent

For qualitative data, check if categories are ——— with what is specified in the coding manual

logical

For quantitative data, check the minimum and maximum if they are ——— given the possible values of variable