Statistics in Medical Research

Curves of Frequency Distributions

skewed to the right A=mode B=median C=mean

A=mean

skewed to the left B=median C=mode

Normal Distributions

Normal Distributions
| 68.26 | ---------95.45%-----------------99.74%--------_______|___|___|___|___|___|________ 3sd 2sd 1sd 1sd 2sd 3sd Mo Md

Normal Distributions
Properties of the normal distribution 1. The normal curve is a theoretical distribution defined by two parameters, the mean and the standard deviation . 2. It has the appearance of a symmetrical bell-shaped curve extending infinitely in both directions. It is symmetrical about the mean. 3. The total area under the curve is 1 or 100%. Whether the mean or standard deviation is large or small, the relative areas between any two points are always the same. With 1 the area under the curve is 68.26 or 68.26% of the observations fall within 1, with 2, the area is 95.45% and with 3 the area is 99.74% 4. The mean, median and mode are equal.
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Normal Distributions
Standard Normal Curve The normal distribution is a large family of distributions corresponding to many different values of parameters and . Application of the normal curve involves computations of the areas of its segments. Every time it is needed, to compute for a specific area given and , we have to go back to the formula which is very time consuming. Statisticians have computed extensively all the possible members of the family or areas under the curve and presented in the so called the standardized normal curve with mean 0 and standard deviation of 1. A standardized Z score have been tabulated.
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Normal Distributions

1 -(x-)2 f(x) = ---------- exp -----------), - x (22) 22

where: = 3.1416 e = 2.71 = mean of the distribution = standard deviation of the distribution
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Normal Distributions

Normal Distributions
Application of the normal distribution 1. Computation of proportion, percentages or probabilities of x values falling in a given range

Ex. What is the proportion of students who got 60% in the examination or what is the probability that a student will get 60% in the exam? 2. Determining the bounding x values given the proportion or probability
Ex. Determining the weights of people belonging to the lowest 10% of the group

Normal Distributions
Formula for transformation: x- z = -------- Where: z = standard normal deviate x = value of the parameter or measurement = population mean = population standard deviation
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Normal Distributions
Example: A group of subjects is known to have a mean weight of 135+/-20lbs. Application #1 a. find the proportion of individuals with weights above 150lbs. x- 150-135 15 z = -------- = -------------- =- -------- = 0.75 20 20

Referring to the table of values of the standard normal curve, the area corresponding to 0.75 is 0.2266. Multiplying 0.2266 by 100, the proportion of subjects with weights of 150lbs is 22.66%.
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Normal Distributions

0.2266x100=22.66% ----------------------------------------------------------135 150 x 0 0.75 z

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Normal Distributions
b. find the proportion of subjects with weights below 110 lbs x- 110-135 z = --------- = ------------- = -1.25 20 z of 1.25 corresponds to the area 0.1056 in the normal curve. Therefore the proportion of subjects with weights below 110lbs is 10.56%
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Normal Distributions

0.1056X100 =10.56% -------------------------------------------------x 110 135 z -1.25 0

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Normal Distributions
c. find the proportion of subjects with weights between 130 to 160 lbs when x1 = 130, 130-135 z = ----------- = -0.25 20 when x2 = 160 160-135 z = ---------- = 1.25 20

area of z = -0.25 is 0.4013, z = 1.25 is 0.1056 area = 1 (0.4013+0.1056) = 0.4931 therefore the proportion of subjects between 130 to 160lbs is 49.31%
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Normal Distributions

-0.4013 0.4931 0.1056 ------------------|--------------------|-----------x 130 135 160 z -0.25 0 1.25

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Application # 2 d. find the weight of the heaviest 10% in the group In the table of the standard deviate, the nearest corresponding z value of 10% or 0.1000 is 1.28 (0.1003) Using the transformation formula: x - 135 10% or 0.1000 = ----------- 20

X - 135 1.28 = -----------20 1.28 (20) = X 135 X = 128 (20) + 135 X = 160.6 lbs
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Normal Distributions

160.6 | 10%

----------------------------------------------------------135 160.6 0 1.28

x z

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Normal Distributions
e. find the weights of the middle 50% Divide the other half or the other 50% into two, corresponding to the two tail end since what is asked is the middle 50%. Therefore the two tails will have an area of 0.25 each, -0.25 to the left and +0.25 to the right. The corresponding Z scores are 0.67 and +0.67 respectively
Lower limit: x-135 -0.67 = -----------20 x-135 = -0.67(20) x = -0.67(20) +135 x = 121.6 Upper limit: x-135 0.67 = --------20 x-135 = 0.67(20) x = 0.67(20)+135 x = 148.4
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Normal Distributions

50%

---------------------------|-------------------------------121.6 135 148.4 -0.67 0 0.67

x z

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