Biostatistics

BENJARDE C. DESOR
• Biostatistics is the branch of applied statistics directed toward applications
in the health sciences and biology .
• In its plural sense, statistics is a set of numerical data (e.g., vital statistics in a
beauty contest, monthly sales of a company, daily P-$ exchange rate).
• In its singular sense, statistics is that branch of science which deals with the
collection, presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data.
 Nature of Statistics
• General Uses of Statistics
1. Statistics aids in decision making
• provides comparison
• explains action that has taken place
• justifies a claim or assertion
• predicts future outcome
• estimates unknown quantities
2. Statistics summarizes data for public use
 Fields of Statistics
• Statistical Methods of Applied Statistics – refer to procedures and techniques
used in the collection, presentation, analysis and interpretation of data.

• Statistical Theory of Mathematical Statistics – deals with the development

and exposition of theories that serve as bases of statistical methods.
 Statistical Methods of Applied Statistics

Descriptive Statistics Inferential Statistics

• methods concerned with the collection, • methods concerned with making predictions
description, and analysis of a set of data or inferences about a larger set of data using
without drawing conclusions or inferences only the information gathered from a subset
about a larger set of this larger set
• the main concern is simply to describe the • main concern is not merely to describe but
set of data such that otherwise obscure actually predict and make inferences based
information is brought out clearly on the information gathered c
• conclusions apply only to the data on • onclusions are applicable to a larger set of
hand data which the data on hand is only a subset
Descriptive Inferential
• A bowler wants to find his bowling • A bowler wants to estimate his chance of winning
average for the past 12 games a game based on his current season averages and
the averages of his opponents
• A housewife wants to determine the • A housewife would like to predict based on last
average weekly amount she spent on year’s grocery bills, the average weekly amount she
groceries in the past 3 months will spend on groceries for this year.
• A politician would like to estimate, based on an
• A politician wants to know the exact opinion poll, his chance for winning in the
number of votes he received in the last upcoming election.
election
 Population and Sample
• A population is a collection of all the elements under consideration in a
statistical study.

• A sample is a part or subset of the population from which the information is

collected.
• A parameter is a numerical characteristic of the population.

• A statistic is a numerical characteristic of the sample.

 Collection and Presentation of Data
Steps in Statistical Inquiry
• •Define the problem.
• •Formulate the research design.
• •Collect the data.
• •Code and analyze the collected data
• •Interpret the results.
 Variables and Measurement
• A variable is a characteristic or attribute of persons or objects which can
assume different values or labels for different persons or objects under
consideration.
• Measurement is the process of determining the value or label of a particular
variable for the particular experimental unit.
• An experimental unit is the individual or object on which a variable is
measured.
 Classification of Variables
Discrete vs. Continuous

• Discrete Variable - a variable which can assume finite, or, at most, countable
infinite number of values; usually measured by counting or enumeration.

• Continuous Variable - a variable which can assume infinitely many values

corresponding to a line interval
 Qualitative vs. Quantitative
• Qualitative variable - a variable that yields categorical responses (e.g., political
affiliation, occupation, marital status)

• Quantitative variable- a variable that takes on numerical values representing

an amount or quantity (e.g., weight, height, no. of cars)
 Levels of Measurement
Nominal Level (or Classificatory Scale)
• The nominal level is the weakest level of measurement where numbers or
symbols are used simply for categorizing subjects into different groups.

Examples:
Sex M-Male F-Female
Marital Status 1-Single 2-Married 3-Widowed 4-Separated
 Levels of Measurement
Ordinal Level (or Ranking Scale)
• The ordinal level of measurement contains the properties of the nominal
level, and in addition, the number assigned to categories of any variable
maybe ranked or ordered in some low-to-high-manner.
Teaching Ratings 1-poor 2-fair 3-good 4-excellent
Year Level 1-1st yr 2-2nd yr 3-3rd yr 4-4th yr
 Levels of Measurement
Interval level
• The interval level is that which has the properties of the nominal and ordinal
levels, and in addition the distance between any two numbers on the scale are
of known sizes. An interval scale must have a common and constant unit of
measurement. Furthermore, the unit of measurement is arbitrary and there is
no “true zero” point.
• IQ
• Temperature (in Celsius)
Ratio Level
• The ratio level of measurement contains all the properties of the interval
level, and in addition, it has a “true zero” point.

• Examples: Age (in years)

• Number of correct answers in an exam
 Classification of Data
Primary vs. Secondary
• Primary data - data measured by the researcher/agency that published it

• Secondary data - any republication of data by another agency.

The publications of the National Statistics Office are primary data and all
subsequent publications of other agencies are secondary data
• External vs. Internal
• Internal Data - information that relates to the operations and functions of the
organization collecting the data.

• External Data - information that relates to some activity outside the organization
collecting the data

The sales data of SM is internal data for SM but external data for any other
organization such as Robinson’s.
 Data Collection Methods
• 1. Survey Method - questions are asked to obtain information, either through
self-administered questionnaire or personal interview.

• Observation Method - makes possible the recording of behaviour but only at

the time of occurrence (e.g., observing reactions to a particular stimulus,
traffic count)
• Experimental Method - a method designed for collecting data under
controlled conditions. An experiment is an operation where there is actual
human interference with the conditions that can affect the variable under
study. This is an excellent method of collecting data for causation studies. If
properly designed and executed, experiments will reveal with a good deal of
accuracy, the effect of a change in one variable on another variable.
• Use of existing studies - e.g., census, health statistics, and weather bureau
reports
• Two Types:
• • documentary sources – published or written reports, periodicals,
unpublished documents, etc.
• • field sources – researchers who have done studies on the area of interest
are asked personally or directly for information needed
• Registration Method - e.g., car registration, student registration, and hospital
admission
 General Classification of Collecting Data
Census or complete enumeration is the process of gathering information from
every unit in the population.
• not always possible to get timely, accurate and economical data
• costly, especially if the number of units in the population is too large
Survey sampling is the process of obtaining information from the units in the
selected sample.
Advantages of Survey Sampling:
• reduced cost
• greater speed
• greater scope
• greater accuracy