EPHD-310 Basic Biostat Dr.

Jaffa

Introduction to Basic Notions in Biostatistics

Outline:
1. Introduction.
2. Basic definitions.
3. Learning Outcomes Covered in this introductory
lecture.

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Introduction
What is Biostatistics?

• The word “Biostatistics” is made up of two words:

Biology and Statistics

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Introduction
What is Biostatistics?
• Biostatistics is a science that encompasses under its big
umbrella the following steps:
1. Identify the research question.
2. Identify the population of interest (Population)
3. Identify the item (s) on which information will be
collected (Variables and random variables)
4. Collection of information from a sample of the
population (Random sample)
5. Summarization of data
6. Analysis of data using Biostatistical approaches.
7. Interpretation of, and inference from, the results.
(Conclusions drawn from the analysis).

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Introduction
• Example:
Interest is in Type I diabetes and assessment of
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) which is an indicator of the
sugar level control (glucose control) in blood when
patients are on a certain insulin drug.

• Process:
 Randomly select a sample of size n from the population of
Type I diabetic Patients.
 Administer these patients on the insulin drug of interest
and measure HbA1c for these patients.
 Aim is to assess effect of the drug on reducing HbA1c.
Use Biostatistics to reach conclusion on drug effect.
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Introduction
Why Biostatistics is important?
• Biostatistics is important in evaluating different
information, help understand the characteristics of the
population of interest and reach right conclusions.

• Biostatistics is a science that is needed in every field:

Medicine, public health, economics etc. to ensure that
whatever result is being achieved is not just occurring
by chance.

• Example: Biostatistics was used to postulate the causal

relationship of smoking and lung cancer.
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Introduction
Ethics in Biostatistics
• When embarking in any research project whether on your
own or on a collaborative basis, always make sure that
ethics is honored in every step from data collection to data
entry to data analysis.

• Sometimes overly enthusiastic collaborators unintentionally

tend to exercise some pressure on biostatistician to try to
generate favorable results for their hypothesis.

• It is our job to inform them that biostatistics is not a ‘ BAG

of TRICKS” where you just run some software and
manipulate the data to generate favorable results neither
are we in a position ethically to change the research
question or hypothesis after the results are generated.
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Introduction
Ethics in Biostatistics
• An interesting article by “Marie Davidian et al” that
highlights some ethical issues in Biostatistics is being
posted on Moodle. Please read it…

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Basic Definitions

• Data: Raw material to be investigated (example: body

temperature collected on patients).

• Population: Set of all subjects of interest.

• Sample: Subset of the population on which data is

collected.

• Simple random sample: A sample of size n chosen from

a population of size N and has equal chance of being
selected as other samples.

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Basic Definitions

• Inference: To make conclusions about a population using

data from a sample taken from that population.

• Parameter: Any numerical characteristic of the population

(example: population mean).

• Statistic: Any numerical characteristic of the sample

(example: sample mean).

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Basic Definitions
• Variable: fundamental entity studied in scientific research
which is measured on each subject in a sample.
Examples: height, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol
level, etc.

• Random variable: by “random” we mean “unpredictable”.

Hence, a random variable is a variable the values of which
are occurring with a certain probability or a certain level of
uncertainty. Other “Variables” are used to “predict” these
values.

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Basic Definitions
• Example :
A study was conducted on patients who underwent renal
transplantation to assess the effect of the donor’s
characteristics (age, gender, race, relationship to patient,
alive/deceased) and patient’s characteristics on renal function
after transplantation. One marker of renal function is blood
urea nitrogen (BUN).

Variables of interest are the donor’s and patient’s

characteristics.

Outcome of interest is BUN.

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Basic Definitions
• Example : (continued)

• Let’s now identify the basic definitions:

 Population: Renal Transplant Patients. The population size is
infinite.

 Data: Characteristics of patient and donor, and BUN.

 Random Sample: The randomly selected patients who

underwent renal transplantation. This sample is finite it has
size n.

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Basic Definitions
 Random Variable here is BUN since its values will be
predicted from the characteristics (donor and patient).

 Variables: Patients and Donors’ characteristics.

 Aim come up with an estimate of the Mean BUN in the

population.

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Basic Definitions
 Thus the Parameter of interest in this study is Population
Mean of BUN. This is unknown and needs to be
estimated.

 Parameter will be estimated using a Statistic which is in

this case the Sample Mean for BUN.

 Inference in this example is the effect of these

characteristics on renal function i.e. on the levels of BUN.

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Course Learning Outcomes Covered in this

Introductory Lecture
• Explain the role of quantitative methods and sciences of
biostatistics in describing and assessing a population’s
health.

• Apply ethical principles to data management and analysis.

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