NATURE OF STATISTICS

&
DATA PROCESSING
BIOSTATISTICS AND EPIDEMIOLOGY (BIOE 211)
COURSE UNIT 1
COLLEGE OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
Learning Objectives:

 Define statistics and understand its importance

 Discuss the basic concepts of statistics
 Describe the phenomena of variability
 Define data processing;
 Enumerate the steps and rules in coding;
 Describe the process of preparing a coding manual.
STATISTICS

 Science of collecting, presenting, analyzing, and interpreting data

 Art of summarizing data for non-statisticians to understand
 METHOD or DATA
 Tool for decision making  formulation of a good judgment
Uses of Statistics

 Data reduction technique

 Tool for analyzing research projects and clinical trials
 Tool for objective appraisal and evaluation of programs
 Tool in decision making process and policy making
2 AREAS OF STATISTICS

 MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS
- concerned with development of new statistical inference and requires
detailed knowledge of abstract mathematics for its implementation

 APPLIED STATISTICS
- involves applying the methods of mathematical statistics to specific
subject areas such as BIOSTATISTICS
BIOSTATISTICS

 BIO means life; STATISTICS means data

– 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
Uses of Biostatistics

 Epidemiology: distribution & determinants of health-related states and

events
 Demography: study of human population
 Health Economics: functioning of health care system and health affecting
behaviors
 Genetics and Genomics: Heredity; genes and functions
AREAS OF STATISTICS

 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
– Methods of summarizing and presenting data
– Computation of measures of central tendency and variability
– Tabulation and graphical presentation
– 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
– Estimation of parameters and hypotheses testing
DEFINITION OF TERMS

 Population – whole member of a defined group (ENTIRETY)

 Sample – portion of the population (SUBSET)
 Parameter – measure of characteristic of a population
 Statistic – measure of characteristic of a sample
 Data – item/piece(s) of information
 Constant – unchanging value/characteristic of an object
 Variable – changing value/characteristic of an object
Types of Data

 According to Source
 Primary
 Secondary

 According to Functional Relationship

 Dependent
 Independent
Categories of Data

– Qualitative: descriptions or labels to distinguish one group from another

– Quantitative: can be measured and ordered according to quantity or

amount and expressed numerically
Types of Quantitative Data

 Discrete – assumes finite or countable number of values

 Continuous – assumes infinite or possible values

Scales of Measurement of Variables

I. Nominal
– Simply used as names or identifiers of a category
– Always qualitative
– Does not represent any amount or quantity
II. Ordinal
– Represents an ordered series of relationships
– May be qualitative or quantitative
III. Interval
– Does not have a true-zero value starting point
– Always quantitative
IV. Ratio
– Modified interval level which includes zero as a
starting point
– Always quantitative
Data Processing

 • Systematic procedure to ensure that the information/data gathered are complete,

consistent and suitable for analysis.
 Data Data Data
Collection Processing Analysis
Data Coding

 Conversion of verbal/written information into numbers which can be more

easily encoded, counted and tabulated.
Types of Codes

 A. Field Code: actual value or information given by the respondent

 B. Bracket Code: recorded as range of values rather than actual values
 C. Factual Code: codes are assigned to a list of categories of a given
variable
 D. Pattern Code: applicable for questions with multiple responses
Coding problems

 No response
 Not applicable items
Coding Manual

A document which contains a record of all

codes assigned to the responses to all
questions in the data collection forms
• Minimum information that must be included
in a coding manual
– Variable name
– Variable description
– Coding instructions
Data Encoding

Entering the data/responses in a spreadsheet

– MS Excel
– MS Access
– Epi Info
Data Editing

 Inspection and correction of any errors or inconsistencies in the

information collected
– During data collection, encoding, before data analysis
Types of Editing

 A. Field Editing
 Reviewing the accomplished data collection forms
 Decoding of abbreviations or special symbols
 Making callbacks/messages for verification/clarification
 of incomplete answers
 B. Central Editing
 Checking of inconsistencies and incorrect entries after
 receiving the questionnaire from the field
 Checking of encoded data
Importance of Data Editing

• Make corrections as early as possible

• Reduce non-response or incomplete answers
• Eliminate inconsistencies, incorrect info.
• Make the entries clear, legible and comprehensive
• Prepare data for analysis
What to check when editing data?

• Check for duplicate entries

• Check the totals of each variable if the same as with the sample size
• For qualitative data, check if categories are consistent with what is specified
in the coding manual
• For quantitative data, check the minimum and maximum if they are logical
given the possible values of variable
End of presentation

Questions?
Clarification?
Other concerns…

Reach me at…
OLFU gmail: lrnunez@fatima.edu.ph
FB: Lalaine Nuñez