Epidemiology and Data

Science - II
Science in Public Health
Statistics
• Statistics: The science that deals with the collection, classification, description, analysis,
interpretation and presentation of data.

• Descriptive statistics concerns with the summary measures of the data for a sample of
population.
• Analytic statistics concerns with the use of data from a sample of population to make
inferences about the population.
Variables
• Variables are logical set of attributes.
• What is attribute?
• Attribute is a characteristic or quality of something.
• For example, gender is a variable composed of the attributes female and male. Blood
pressure is another example.
Categorical vs. Continuous Variables
• Categorical variables – Generally presented in non-numeric categories E.g Gender, Name of
country etc.

• Continuous variables – Numeric is nature E.g. Height, Weight, Body mass index (BMI)
Scales of Measurement

• Nominal Scale – Categorical scale when there is no order (increasing or

decreasing) among the categories E.g Gender, Blood Group
• Ordinal Scale - Categorical scale when order (increasing or decreasing) among
categories becomes important E.g. Student’s performance in exams – very good,
good, poor, very poor
• Interval Scale - usually continuous scale on which the intervals really do have a
consistent interpretation. These variables lack a true zero point. E.g temperature
(zero degree temperature does not really mean lack of heat)
• Ratio Scale – A continuous measurement scale with a constant interval and a true
zero point. E.g Height, Weights, Blood pressure
Mean
• It is the average value of the data.
• It is represented by ΣX/N.

• Example: The following are the number of children affected with diarrhea in 9 villages in
past 3 months.

• Mean=68/9= 7.6 ~ 8 children

Median
• The median value is the value that has 50% of the recorded values above it and 50% below it.
• If n is odd, median value would be [(n+1)/2]th value.
• If n is even, median value would be average of n/2 and (n/2)+1 terms.
• Example: The following are the number of children affected with diarrhea in 9 villages in
past 3 months.

• Median= [(9+1)/2]th value = 5th value = 7 children

Mode
• The mode of a set of values is the observation that occurs most frequently.

• Example: The following are the number of children affected with diarrhea in 9 villages in
past 3 months.

• Mode = The value having highest frequency = 4 children

Variance and Standard Deviation (SD)
• This is average deviation around the mean.

• Variance = the mean of the squared deviation around mean.

• Standard Deviation = Square-root of Variance

Uses of statistical thinking for Engineers
• An engineer solves problems of interest to society by the efficient application of scientific
principles.
• Engineers accomplish this by either refining an existing product or process or by designing a
new product or process that meets customers needs.
• Statistical techniques can be a powerful aid in,
• designing new products and systems
• improving existing designs
• designing, developing, and improving production processes
• Statistical methods are used to help us describe and understand variability.
• Example – Factors determining mileage performance of cars – crowding on road, quality of
fuel used, Engine performance etc.
• Statistical thinking can give a useful way to understand this variability to enable logical
decision-making.