MATH 225 Week 1 Discussion: Basic Statistics Data Used in Everyday Life

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Chamberlain University

MATH-225 Statistical Reasoning for the Health Sciences

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Discussion: Basic Statistics Data Used in Everyday Life

According to Holmes, Illowsky, and Dean (2019), statistics play an essential role in our daily lives. For this discussion, I will focus on the long-term effects of intentional weight loss on diabetes and hypertension. Both diabetes and hypertension are quantitative data as they can be measured numerically. The study employed weights and blood pressure readings, which are continuous variables since they can take any value within a reasonable range. In contrast, qualitative data would encompass attributes like blood type or ethnicity, which are non-numerical in nature.

The research utilized a stratified sampling approach by dividing the population into subgroups—those undergoing surgical treatment versus those receiving conventional treatment. The researchers initially included 480 primary healthcare centers, collecting data from 2000 patients in each group and eventually narrowing the sample to 346 patients in each group. After eight years, the study found that the group utilizing non-pharmacological weight loss methods did not observe improvements in weight, diabetes, or blood pressure. However, those who underwent weight loss surgery experienced significant weight loss and a reduction in diabetes cases by one-fifth, though blood pressure improvements were not sustained despite a 16% reduction in body weight.

References

Holmes, A., Illowsky, B., and Dean, S. (2019) Introductory Business Statistics. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/contents/b56bb9e9-5eb8-48ef-9939-88b1b12ce22f Sjöström

MATH 225 Week 1 Discussion: Basic Statistics Data Used in Everyday Life

CD; Peltonen M; Wedel H; Sjöström L. (2000). Differentiated long-term effects of intentional weight loss on diabetes and hypertension. Retrieved from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.HYP.36.1.20