CHAPTER 5

NORMAL DISTRIBUTION
 Objective
After completing this chapter, you should be able to

1 Identify distributions as symmetric or skewed.

2 Identify the properties of a normal distribution.
3 Find the area under the standard normal distribution, given various z values.
4 Find probabilities for a normally distributed variable by transforming it into a standard
normal variable.
5 Find specific data values for given percentages, using the standard normal distribution.
6 Use the central limit theorem to solve problems involving sample means for large samples.
7 Use the normal approximation to compute probabilities for a binomial variable.
 The normal distribution, also known as the Gaussian
distribution, is a fundamental concept in statistics and is
commonly used in health and medical studies. It
provides a way to describe how certain types of health
data, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, or body
temperature, are distributed across a population.
 The normal distribution is a type of continuous
probability distribution that is symmetric and bell-
shaped, describing how the values of a variable
are distributed in a dataset. It is defined
mathematically by its mean (μ) and standard
deviation (σ).
Example student performance
 Properties of the Normal Distribution in

 The normal distribution is widely applied in health and medical

research to model variables like body temperature, blood pressure,
cholesterol levels, and many other biological and clinical
measurements. Below are its key properties and how they relate to
health:
 1. Symmetry
• The normal distribution is symmetric around the mean (μ).
• In health data, this implies that for a variable like body temperature,
values above and below the average (e.g., 98.6°F or 37°C) are equally
likely.
 2. Bell-shaped Curve

• The distribution's curve is highest at the mean, where most data points
are concentrated, and gradually decreases as values move farther from
the mean.
• Example: In a healthy population, most individuals have blood pressure
values close to the average, with fewer individuals having significantly
low or high blood pressure.
The Standard Normal Distribution.

 The standard normal distribution is a special

case of the normal distribution where the mean (μ)
is 0 and the standard deviation (σ) is 1. It is often
used in statistics as a reference to simplify
calculations and compare data across different
normal distributions.
 Bell Shaped f(X)
 Symmetrical
 Mean, Median and Mode
are Equal σ
Location is determined by the mean, μ σ X
Spread is determined by the standard μ
deviation, σ μ
= Mean
The random variable has an infinite = Median
theoretical range: = Mode
+  to − 
A normal distribution can have any mean and standard deviation. These two parameters,
and completely determine the shape of the normal curve. The mean gives the location of
the line of symmetry, and the standard deviation describes how much the data are spread
out.
 Key Features of the Standard Normal
Distribution:

1. Mean (μ) = 0:
1. The center of the distribution is at 0.
2. All values are measured relative to this central point.
2. Standard Deviation (σ) = 1:
1. The spread of the distribution is standardized so that one unit on the horizontal axis corresponds to one
standard deviation from the mean.
3. Symmetry:
1. The standard normal distribution is symmetric about the mean, just like any normal distribution.
4. Z-scores:
1. The standard normal distribution is the basis for calculating Z-scores, which indicate how many
standard deviations a data point is from the mean.
• Where:
❑ X: The raw data value.
❑ μ: The mean of the distribution.
❑ σ: The standard deviation.
Example 1

 Suppose a patient’s fasting blood sugar level is

110 mg/dL. If the mean fasting sugar level in a
population is 100 mg/dL with a standard deviation
of 15 mg/dL, find Z-score?
Solution
 Example 2

•A study shows that total cholesterol in a population follows a

normal distribution with a mean (μ) of 200 mg/dL and a standard
deviation (σ) of 30 mg/dL.
•A patient has a cholesterol level of 250 mg/dL.
•To find how unusual this is, we calculate the Z-score:
Solution
 Example 3

•The birth weights of babies in a region are normally distributed

•with a mean (μ) of 3.5 kg and a standard deviation (σ) of 0.5kg.
•If a baby weighs 2.8 kg, we calculate the Z-score:
Solution
 Try it

•Suppose systolic blood pressure in a population is normally

distributed with a mean (μ) of 120 mmHg
•and a standard deviation (σ) of 10 mmHg.
•A person has a systolic blood pressure of 135 mmHg.
•find the Z-score is:
 Applications of the Standard Normal
Distribution:

1. Standardizing Data:
1. Raw scores from any normal distribution can be converted into Z-scores for easier comparison.
2. Example: Comparing cholesterol levels measured in different populations with varying means and
standard deviations.
2. Hypothesis Testing:
1. Used in calculating p-values to determine statistical significance.
3. Confidence Intervals:
1. Z-scores are used to calculate margins of error and construct confidence intervals in population studies.
4. Clinical Thresholds:
1. Helps define "normal ranges" in health metrics by comparing individual measurements to the standard
distribution.
 The Central Limit Theorem (CLT)

The Central Limit Theorem (CLT) is a fundamental concept

in statistics that describes the behavior of sample means. It
states that:
The central limit theorem says that the sampling distribution
of the mean will always be normally distributed, as long as
the sample size is large enough
The Central Limit Theorem (CLT) in
Health Statistics

 The Central Limit Theorem (CLT) is crucial in

health research and medical studies. It enables
researchers and practitioners to make inferences about
a population’s characteristics, such as blood pressure,
cholesterol levels, or recovery times, even when the
original data is not normally distributed.
How the CLT Applies to Health:

1. Sampling and Patient Populations:

1. In health studies, researchers often collect data from small samples of patients to
estimate population parameters (e.g., average BMI or blood sugar levels).
2. The CLT ensures that even if the underlying data (e.g., BMI values) are skewed,
the sample means will follow a normal distribution as the sample size grows.
2. Standard Error and Confidence Intervals:
• The standard error decreases as sample size increases, improving the
accuracy of estimates.
• Researchers use this property to construct confidence intervals for population means,
such as average heart rates in patients with certain conditions.
3. Hypothesis Testing:
• The CLT allows health professionals to test
hypotheses about population parameters (e.g., is
the mean cholesterol level in patients with a new
drug lower than the standard mean?).
 EXAMPLE 1

 A health researcher is studying the relating heart rate of adults in a population.

The population mean (μ) is 75 beats per minute (bpm), and the population
standard deviation (σ) is 10 bpm. The researcher collects a random sample of
n=40 adults.
 Question:
 What is the probability of z-score between that the sample mean heart rate (Xˉ)
73 bpm and 77 bpm?
 Solution
 Step-by-Step Calculation:
1. Identify Parameters:
1. Population mean: μ=75 bpm
2. Population standard deviation: σ=10 bpm
3. Sample size: n=40n
 Try it

 A researcher is studying the fasting blood sugar levels in a diabetic

population. The population mean (μ) is 140 mg/dL, and the population
standard deviation (σ) is 15 mg/dL. The researcher takes a random
sample of n=50 patients.
 Question:
 What is the probability that the sample mean fasting blood sugar is less
than 138 mg/dL?
 The Normal Approximation to the Binomial
Distribution

 A normal distribution is often used to solve problems that involve the binomial distribution
since when n is large (say, 100), the calculations are too difficult to do by hand using the
binomial distribution. Recall from Chapter 3 that a binomial distribution has the following
characteristics:
1. There must be a fixed number of trials.
2. The outcome of each trial must be independent.
3. Each experiment can have only two outcomes or outcomes that can be reduced to two outcomes.
4. The probability of a success must remain the same for each trial.
Example 1

 A study reported that 6% of adults take their prescribed

medication irregularly. If 300 adults are selected at
random, find the probability that exactly 25 of them
admit to taking their medication irregularly.
The probability that exactly 25 adults admit to taking their medication irregularly is
approximately 2.27%.
Example 2

 If a certain vaccine is 32% effective in

preventing a specific illness, find the probability
that the vaccine will be effective for at most 26
people out of 100 individuals vaccinated.
The probability that the vaccine will be effective for at most 26 out of 100 individuals is approximately
11.9%.
Try it

 Ifa new drug has a 70% success rate in

treating a certain condition, find the
probability that it will successfully treat at
most 60 patients out of 100.
End