Week 1

Question 1

What is Epidemiology

Answer 1

The study of the distribution & determinants of disease in specific populations

AKA

Study of how often diseases occur in different groups of people and why

Question 2

Name the 3-D’s of Epidemiology

Answer 2

Disease, Distribution, and Determinants

Question 3

Describe Biostatistics

Answer 3

Collecting, summarising, analysing, and drawing conclusions from data

Refers to the statistics in health and biological fields

Question 4

What is a statistical test

Answer 4

Used to exclude the likelihood of random chance or luck

Question 5

Population vs Samples

Answer 5

population: all curtin students
samples: 20 random curtin students

Question 6

Parameters vs Statistics

Answer 6

Parameters: the descriptive measure of population
Statistics: a descriptive measure of sample

Question 7

Exposure and Outcome

Answer 7

predictor or independent variable
Exposure: Smoking
Outcome: Lung cancer

Question 8

Random Sample

Answer 8

How you recruit your samples

Question 9

Sampling frame

Answer 9

everyone in the population who has the potential to be recruited

Question 10

Sampling variation

Answer 10

Dispersion/spread of your data

Question 11

Sampling error

Answer 11

difference expected from sample vs population

Question 12

Variable

Answer 12

Something measurable

gender, smoker vs non smoker, blood pressure

Question 13

What are the 2 types of data

Answer 13

Categorical data: nominal and ordinal data. Assigns data into groups (smokers/non-smokers, gender, favourite colour, age)

Continuous data: Interval and ratio data. Can take any value within a range (the number of students in a class, you could not find an average as there cannot be half a student)

Question 14

What are the four scales of measurement

Answer 14

Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio

Question 15

Nominal scale

Answer 15

-Names/categories
-No info regarding magnitude/size
EXAMPLE: religion, nationality, favourite colour

Binary = only 2 catergories

Question 16

A nominal scale of measurement with only 2 categories is known as

Answer 16

Binary

Question 17

Ordinal scale (organsied)

Answer 17

-Categories
-Relationship between the categories
-Can be arranged in order/magnitude
-Gaps/intervals between categories are not numerically equal
EXAMPLE:
-1st, 2nd, 3rd
-severity of disease: mild, moderate, severe
-non-smoker, light-smoker, moderate smoker, etc

Question 18

Interval Scale

Answer 18

-Information expressed as (actual values/numerical values)
-categories
-relationship between categories
-can be arranged in magnitude/order
-gaps/intervals are equal eg. 10-15 & 25-30
-No true 0 (eg. 0 degrees does not mean there is no temp)
EXAMPLES:
-IQ test
-Temperature

Question 19

Ratio Scale

Answer 19

-Categories
-Relationship between categories
-Can arrange in order/magnitude
-Gaps/intervals are equal (10-15 & 25-30)
-Has a true 0 (0=the absence of that variable or characteristic)
EXAMPLE:
-money
-heartbeat
-weight

Question 20

Which 2 Scales use categorical data

Answer 20

Nominal & Ordinal

Question 21

Which 2 scaled use continuous data

Answer 21

Interval & Ratio

Question 22

Define cases

Answer 22

Individual

Question 23

What are descriptive statistics

Answer 23

Describe and summarise data

Question 24

Define Inferential data

Answer 24

Make ‘inferences’ about the population (unknown), based on our sample (known)

Distribution of probability

Question 25

Define central tendency

Answer 25

The typical score (median, mean, mode)

Question 26

Define dispersion

Answer 26

How much variety is scored

Question 27

How is the mean measured

Answer 27

AVERAGE

add all numbers together, and divide by the number of values

Question 28

How is mode measured/used for

Answer 28

The number that occurs most often

Used for: Gender, attendance

Question 29

How is Median measured

Answer 29

When all the numbers are listed least to greatest, the middle number