GTU 302/3: BIOSTATISTICS

Dr. Noraini Abdul Ghafar

 Outline..

Definition of statistics
Use of statistics
Common terms in biostatistics
Data & Variables
Descriptive & inferential statistics

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Learning objectives

Understand about the statistics concept

Understand basic biostatistics terminology

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 Definition
An application of statistics to a biological data, such as biology, human,
disease, medicaletc.

Biostatistics provides the tools for the summary and digestion of a lot of
numerical laboratory and clinical data including critical reading and
understanding of scientific literature.

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What is statistics?

Mathematical procedures to
collect
organise
analyse, and
interpret

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Statistics also includes the planning of data collection
in terms of the design of:

survey, and

experiments

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Use of statistics
Statistics is especially useful in drawing general
conclusions about a set of data from a sample of
data

Biostatistics: the application statistics to a wide range

of topics in biology, health science and medical science.

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Why is statistics important?
It is part of the quantitative approaches to
knowledge

I often say that when you can measure what you

are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you
know something about it
-Lord Kelvin
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 First, understand the common
terms/terminology and types of
variables

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Common terms
Population
A set of individuals, items or data from which statistical sample is taken

Sample
A subset of a population which is selected to represent the population
Population
Sample Sample
n 1

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- The raw or original measurement of statistics.
- Values taken by the variable
e.g.
10 years old (Data for age variable),
Data
Male (Data for gender variable),
Chinese (Data for race variable),
160oC (Data for temperature variable),
74 kg (Data for body weight variable)

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Parameter
-used to represent a certain Population characteristics
e.g., population mean

Statistic
-used to represent a certain Sample characteristics
e.g., Sample mean

Variables
-Characteristic of event/object/person.
-Observed/measured
e.g. age, gender, race, height and weight
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Parametric method/statistic/test
-the method that used on the data from a type of probability distribution
e.g., normal distribution, binomial distribution

Non-parametric method/statistic/test
-the method that used on the data not based on parameterized families of probability
distribution; distribution free

Attention here!! Throughout the course, parametric method/test is referred to the

method that applied on the data from normal distribution only!!
What is statistics?

Mathematical procedures to
collect
organise
analyse, and
interpret

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*Collecting data
Observe = measurement
What to measure?

Variable: Any characteristic of a person or thing that

collected. E.g., height, sex, income etc.

Variables
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Types of variable
VARIABLE

QUALITATIVE / CATEGORICAL QUANTITATIVE / NUMERICAL

NOMINAL ORDINAL DISCRETE CONTINUOUS

Blood group- A, B, O Number of students

etc. 1st, 2nd, 3rd in the class Height, weight
in the class

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Qualitative/Categorical Variable
Nominal Data
- Data differentiated by NAME Frequency
- e.g. Blood group, Gender, Race and etc. (%)

Ordinal/Ranked Data
- Data that is RANKED
- e.g. 1st, 4th and 8th winners of a marathon race
Has unequal distance between adjacent points in a scale.
Has underlying continuity, thus may be used as interval data (numerical
data) 17
Quantitative/Numerical Variable
Discrete
- Data with finite values (fixed values)
- e.g. Number of students in PPSK, number of cars in a particular car park

Measure of centrality/
Continuous Data Measure of dispersion

- Data with infinite values

e.g. height of PPSKs students, Mean (SD)
Median (IQR)
weight of chemicals,
temperature
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Types of variable

Nominal
Discrete

Ordinal
Variable

Interval
Continuous

Ratio
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Types of variable- Discrete vs Continuous
Discrete
Restricted to whole, countable numbers e.g
number of patients, frequency of cough at night etc.
No values can exist between two
neighbouring categories e.g. 4 or 5 number of
patients; no 4.5 patients
Observations that differ qualitatively e.g. male
& female
Continuous
An infinite number of possible values fall
between any two observed values e.g. body
weight, blood sugar etc.
Very rare to obtain identical measurement for
two different individuals
Intervals rather than category Two people who
both claim to weigh 90 kgs are probably not the same weight.
However they are both around 90 kgs. One person may actually
weigh 89.6 kgs and the other 90.3.
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Interval
Ordered categories that are all intervals of exactly the same size e.g.
weight in kg, height in cm.
Ordered e.g. 3>2>1,

Same intervals e.g. 2 cm is twice of 1 cm

Possible to differentiate direction and magnitude (or distance)
between categories

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Ratio
Interval scale with an absolute zero point
e.g. 0 kg means no weight

Ratio of numbers do reflect ratios of magnitude

Interval & ratio are known as numerical data

(or scale in SPSS)
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Types of variable
Independent
Variable/
covariate/predictor/x
Variable

Dependent
Variable/ outcome/response
variable/ y

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Concepts related to variable
Independent Variable / predictors/covariate/x
A variable that stands alone and isnt change by the variables we are trying to
measure

Dependent Variable /outcome/respond variable/y

A variable that depends on other factors
Example:
Test score (dependent variable) depends on the time
(independent variable) you spent on studying
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 Frequency of having fast food
Frequency of exercise

Frequency of sugar intake

(Independent variable!!)
.
(Independent variable!!)

Weight-dependent variable

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Identify each of the following as examples of
qualitative or quantitative variables:

1. The duration of exercise hour of PPSK students

2. The weight of a lead pencil
3. Types of program of students attend the Biostatistics class
4. The type of book taken out of the library by an adult
5. Interview record of experiences of patients in the hospital
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Identify each of the following as examples of qualitative
or quantitative variables:

1. The duration of exercise hour of PPSK students- quanti.

2. The weight of a lead pencil- quanti
3. Types of program of students attend the Biostatistics class- quali
4. The type of book taken out of the library by an adult-quali
5. Interview record of experiences of patients in the hospital-quali
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Identify each of the following as examples of qualitative
(nominal or ordinal) or quantitative (discrete or continous
variables):

1. Weight of students: 50kg, 38kg, 67kg, 80kg

2. Temperature of students: 36.7C, 33.3C, 37.5 C
3. The score ranking in the Biostatistics class
4. Ethnic group of the students in the Biostatistics class
5. IQ of students: 110, 105, 170

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Identify each of the following as examples of qualitative (nominal
or ordinal) or quantitative (discrete or continous variables):

1. Weight of students: 50kg, 38kg, 67kg, 80kg- quanti, discrete

2. Temperature of students: 36.7C, 33.3C, 37.5 C quanti, continuous
3. The score ranking in the Biostatistics class- quali, ordinal
4. Ethnic group of the students in the Biostatistics class quali,nominal
5. IQ of students: 110, 105, 170 quanti, discrete
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Identify each of the following as examples of independent and
dependent variables:

1. Investigate the demographic factors associated with the BMI of students

2. Influence of hormone A to the Gene X
3. Investigate whether the IQ level and weight of children will affect the EQ
of children
4. Physical activity is associated with the gender, where female are more likely
to have low physical activity.
5. Investigate whether type A supplement have effect on the sugar level of
student.
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Identify each of the following as examples of independent and
dependent variables:

1. Investigate the demographic factors associated with the BMI of students

2. Influence of hormone A to the Gene X
3. Investigate whether the IQ level and weight of children will affect the EQ
of children
4. Physical activity is associated with the gender, where female are more likely
to have low physical activity.
5. Investigate whether type A supplement have effect on the sugar level of
student.
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What is statistics/biostatistics?

Mathematical procedures to
collect
organise
analyse, and
interpret

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Why we need statistics/biostatistics?
What are the main uses of statistics in health sciences?

1. summarising data
2. calculating probabilities associated with experimental
findings
3. test of significance

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Analyse data
Collectively, statistical analysis are divided into two:

1. Descriptive statistics

2. Inferential statistics

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Analyse data
Descriptive statistics
Decribe, summarise e.g. mean (SD), %

Dont go beyond the sample

Dont test hypothesis

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Analyse data Discuss in next
topic: Descriptive
apply sampling
statistics
techniques
Sample

Population Do statistics
DESCRIBE
SUMMARISE
Descriptive The results confine within sample
statistics
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Analyse data
Inferential statistics
Infer beyond sample e.g SEM, 95% CI

Test hypotheses e.g more male smoking

Determine relationship e.g smoking cause cancer

Make prediction e.g smoker is 8 times likely to get cancer

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Analyse data Discuss in next
topic: Inferential
apply sampling
statistics
techniques
Sample

Population

use sample

To draw inference, estimates , &

Inferential conclusions about population

statistics
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Analyse data-various statistics methods

Parametric equivalent Non-parametric equivalent

Paired t-test Wilcoxon signed-ranked test

Unpaired t-test Mann Whitney test

One-way ANOVA Kruskal Wallis

Pearsons Correlation Spearmans correlation

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SPSS
A computer software package used for statistical
analysis

1st version in 1968; originally named as: Statistical

Package for the Social Sciences

Modified to be: Statistical Product and Service

Solutions 40
 wanamir

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What is statistics/biostatistics?

Mathematical procedures to
collect
organise
analyse, and
interpret
Will learn in each topic!
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 Conclusion- Take home message
What is statistics?
Common terms
Types of variables
Descriptive statistics vs Inferential
statistics
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 Thank you.
Please install SPSS in your notebook.
We strongly encourage you to use your own notebook
during the class.

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