ESSENTIALS OF BIOSTATISTICS IN PUBLIC
HEALTH UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
●● What Are the Two Areas of Applied Biostatistics?
Answer: Descriptive Statistics
-Summarize a sample selected from a population
Inferential Statistics
-Make inferences about population parameters based on sample
statistics.
●● What is a statistic? What is a parameter?
Answer: •Any summary measure computed on a SAMPLE is a Statistic
•Any summary measure computed on a POPULATION is a Parameter
●● T/F: N = population size. n = sample size
Answer: True
●● Label and explain the five points of a box and whisker plot.
Answer: Min Q1 Median Q3 Max.
,Min =
Q1 = First quartile holds approximately 25% of the scores at or below it
Median = a value or quantity lying at the midpoint of the values, such
that there is an equal probability of falling above or below it.
Q3 = Third quartile holds approx. 25% of the scores at or above it
Max =
●● What is the first step in a Biostatistical Analysis? (After selecting a
sample).
What is the next step in a Biostatistical Analysis
Answer: Once a sample is selected,
THE CHARACTERISTIC OF INTEREST
MUST BE SUMMARIZED IN THE SAMPLE USING APPROPRIATE
TECHNIQUES. This is the first step in an analysis.
Once the sample
, is appropriately summarized, STATISTICAL INFERENCE
PROCEDURES ARE THEN USED TO GENERATE INFERENCES
ABOUT THE POPULATION BASED ON THE SAMPLE.
●● What do the appropriate biostatistical numerical summaries and
graphical displays depend on?
Answer: The type of characteristic understudy.
Characteristics (sometimes called variables, outcomes, or endpoints) are
classified as one of the following types: dichotomous, ordinal,
categorical, or continuous.
●● Name and describe each of the 4 classifications for biostatistic
information (AKA characteristics or variables or outcomes or
endpoints).
Answer: 1. DICHOTOMOUS VARIABLES have only two possible
responses.
The response options are usually coded "yes" or "no:' Exposure to a
particular risk factor (e.g., smoking) is an example of a
dichotomous variable.
2.ORDINAL & CATEGORICAL VARIABLES have more than two
possible responses but the response options are ordered and unordered,
respectively. Symptom severity is an example of an ordinal variable with
possible responses of minimal, moderate,
HEALTH UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
●● What Are the Two Areas of Applied Biostatistics?
Answer: Descriptive Statistics
-Summarize a sample selected from a population
Inferential Statistics
-Make inferences about population parameters based on sample
statistics.
●● What is a statistic? What is a parameter?
Answer: •Any summary measure computed on a SAMPLE is a Statistic
•Any summary measure computed on a POPULATION is a Parameter
●● T/F: N = population size. n = sample size
Answer: True
●● Label and explain the five points of a box and whisker plot.
Answer: Min Q1 Median Q3 Max.
,Min =
Q1 = First quartile holds approximately 25% of the scores at or below it
Median = a value or quantity lying at the midpoint of the values, such
that there is an equal probability of falling above or below it.
Q3 = Third quartile holds approx. 25% of the scores at or above it
Max =
●● What is the first step in a Biostatistical Analysis? (After selecting a
sample).
What is the next step in a Biostatistical Analysis
Answer: Once a sample is selected,
THE CHARACTERISTIC OF INTEREST
MUST BE SUMMARIZED IN THE SAMPLE USING APPROPRIATE
TECHNIQUES. This is the first step in an analysis.
Once the sample
, is appropriately summarized, STATISTICAL INFERENCE
PROCEDURES ARE THEN USED TO GENERATE INFERENCES
ABOUT THE POPULATION BASED ON THE SAMPLE.
●● What do the appropriate biostatistical numerical summaries and
graphical displays depend on?
Answer: The type of characteristic understudy.
Characteristics (sometimes called variables, outcomes, or endpoints) are
classified as one of the following types: dichotomous, ordinal,
categorical, or continuous.
●● Name and describe each of the 4 classifications for biostatistic
information (AKA characteristics or variables or outcomes or
endpoints).
Answer: 1. DICHOTOMOUS VARIABLES have only two possible
responses.
The response options are usually coded "yes" or "no:' Exposure to a
particular risk factor (e.g., smoking) is an example of a
dichotomous variable.
2.ORDINAL & CATEGORICAL VARIABLES have more than two
possible responses but the response options are ordered and unordered,
respectively. Symptom severity is an example of an ordinal variable with
possible responses of minimal, moderate,
