Statistics are all around us, whether or not we notice them being used. From public policy, health, economics, science, culture to which foods a fast-food restaurant is going to serve next can all be influenced by how the results of statistical studies are operationalized and interpreted.
Each chapter of your course text concludes with two \”Focus on\” sections that go into depth on important issues of our time. The topics of these sections were chosen to demonstrate the great variety of fields in which statistics plays a role. For this Discussion, you are going to review and compare two statistical studies.
To prepare for this Discussion:
• Think about your degree major and your areas of interests, and then concentrate on two of the following \”Focus on\” disciplines: Agriculture, Criminology, Economics, Education, Environment, Health & Education, History, Law, Literature, Politics, Psychology, Public Health, Social Science, Sociology, or The Stock Market
• Review the readings from this week\’s Learning Resources, as well as the complete list of the \”Focus on\” topics to choose from
• Choose two of the studies to compare for this Discussion
• For each study, consider the sample population used, errors that could occur in the research process, and how meaningful and important the results of the study are Comparing Statistical Studies Essay Paper
Post a 2- to 3-paragraph response that includes the following information:
• Identify two \”Focus on…\” sections you have chosen to review and provide a brief summary of the content.
• For each topic, discuss whether you think the sample is representative of the population being studied. What criteria did you use to decide this?
• Was the sample chosen in a way that is likely to introduce bias? What kinds of errors are likely to be associated with each study? Explain.
• Based on what you read, do you believe that the results of each study are meaningful and important? Explain.
• Based on the responses above, which do you think is the stronger study? Why?
Be sure to support your ideas by connecting them to the week\’s Learning Resources or to something you have read, heard, seen, or experienced.
BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
Comparing Statistical Studies
The selected focus sections are psychology and public health. The psychology aspect covered depression and self-esteem among teenage victims (Nicolosi et al, 2013). On the other hand, public health aspect focused on nonadherence of tuberculosis patients which is a public health issue. This is because nonadherence to tuberculosis treatment leads to the spread of the disease (Woimo et al, 2017).
For the study focusing on psychology, the sample is representative of the population under study. This is because the study used all burn victims who were undergoing rehabilitation for plastic surgery and burns (Nicolosi et al, 2013). The criteria used is by calculating the statistics from the sample data and comparing with the population values. Similarly, the sample used in the study focusing on public health is representative of the population (Woimo et al, 2017). This was also arrived at by calculating the statistics from the sample data and comparing with the population values.
In the study focusing on psychology, the study was selected in a manner likely to do away with the bias. This is because all population members in the study setting participated in the study. Similarly, in the study focusing on public health, there is no likelihood of bias. This is because the study sample was selected using random sampling. The likely error likely to be associated with a study focusing on public health includes systematic error and random error while in psychology study the likely error is confounding error (Woimo et al, 2017 & Nicolosi et al, 2013). Comparing Statistical Studies Essay Paper
The results of both studies are meaningful and important. This is because both findings are statistically and clinically significant. In addition, results from the two studies can be generalized because adequate sample sizes were used and also there was minimal bias. This indicates the validity and reliability of results from both studies.
In my opinion, the study focusing on public health is stronger than the study focusing on psychology. This is because the study focusing on public health used a sample from different hospitals while the psychology study just sampled one hospital. This increased reliability and validity of the study focusing on public health. Comparing Statistical Studies Essay Paper
References
Nicolosi T, Carvalho V & Sabat A. (2013). A Quantitative, Cross-sectional Study of Depression and Self-esteem in Teenage and Young Adult Burn Victims in Rehabilitation. Ostomy Wound Manage. 59(9),22‚29.
Woimo T, Yimer K, Bati T & Hailay G. (2017). The prevalence and factors associated for anti-tuberculosis treatment non-adherence among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in public health care facilities in South Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health BMC. 17(269). Comparing Statistical Studies Essay Paper