Choosing Scales Of Measurement: A List Of ✓ Solved
Choosing Scales Of Measurementbelow Is A List Of
Below is a list of variables that might be used in a variety health information management studies. For each item listed below, identify the appropriate scale of measurement (Interval, Nominal, Ordinal, or Ratio) and explain the rationale for your decision.
1. A listing of birth height of newborn babies
2. A count of the variations of eye color in newborns during 1 month
3. The city of residency for patients during a 1 month period
4. The percentage of patients that met the standard length of stay (LOS)
5. List of the number of admissions per day for 1 month
6. Top 50 admission diagnosis
7. Top 50 admission diagnosis by cost
8. Number of Medicare admissions for the month
9. The religious group that one affiliates with
10. The time it takes to complete a checking task
11. The size of the cerebellum expressed as a volume
12. The number of frustrated comments made during a laboratory negotiation task
13. The score on the Beck Depression Inventory (a pencil and paper depression scale)
14. The number of pounds lost during a six-week diet
15. The proportion of weight lost during a six-week diet
16. The heart rate of the participant
17. The percent shift in heart rate over baseline during an emotionally demanding task
18. The number of false alarm responses in a monitoring task
19. The pattern of scores on the MMPI personality inventory
20. The number of children in your family
21. The score on an anxiety sensitivity scale
A study shows the effect of smoking on pregnancy and the birth weight of babies. The data elements below are collected during this study. Identify the appropriate scale for each of them.
22. Mother smoked (yes or no)
23. Birth weight of the baby
24. Apgar score at 1 minute
25. Apgar score at 3 minutes
Sample Paper For Above instruction
Introduction
Understanding the appropriate scale of measurement for various health data variables is crucial in health information management. It defines how data is collected, analyzed, and interpreted, impacting research outcomes and decision-making processes. This paper will classify each of the listed variables into their suitable scales of measurement—nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio—and provide rationales for each classification.
Classification of Variables and Rationales
1. Birth height of newborn babies – Ratio scale
Birth height is a continuous measurement with a true zero point (absence of height), permitting meaningful comparison of differences and ratios. It falls under the ratio scale because it involves measurable quantity with an absolute zero, allowing for ratio comparisons (e.g., one baby is twice as tall as another).
2. Variations of eye color during 1 month – Nominal scale
Eye color variations are categorical without inherent order or ranking, classified based on predefined categories like blue, brown, green, etc. Since the categories are mutually exclusive but not ordered, this data is nominal.
3. The city of residency – Nominal scale
City names are categorical labels that identify geographic locations without any quantitative value or order, thus nominal.
4. Percentage of patients meeting LOS standard – Ratio scale
Percentage is a ratio measurement because it is based on a meaningful zero point (0% means none meeting the standard) and allows calculation of ratios (e.g., 50% vs. 25%).
5. Number of admissions per day – Ratio scale
This is a count of events with a true zero and equal intervals, making it ratio scale. Counts are discrete and meaningful in ratios.
6. Top 50 admission diagnosis – Nominal scale
This list reflects categorical diagnosis names, which are labels without order or quantitative significance, classified as nominal.
7. Top 50 diagnosis by cost – Ordinal or Ratio
The ranking of diagnoses based on cost can be ordinal if focused on order, or ratio if considering actual cost amounts. Typically, ranking is ordinal; however, actual costs are ratio data.
8. Number of Medicare admissions – Ratio scale
Count data with a true zero value, suitable for ratio measurement, allowing meaningful comparisons.
9. Religious group – Nominal scale
Categorical groupings without inherent order, classified as nominal.
10. Time to complete a task – Ratio scale
Time is a measurable quantity with a true zero point, qualifying as ratio data.
11. Quantity of cerebellum volume – Ratio scale
Volume is a continuous measurement with an absolute zero, suitable for ratio analysis.
12. Number of frustrated comments – Ratio scale
Counts of comments constitute discrete data with a true zero, thus ratio measurement.
13. Beck Depression Inventory score – Interval scale
Scores are derived from a scale with equal intervals but no true zero point—meaning a score of zero does not necessarily indicate absence of depression.
14. Pounds lost – Ratio scale
Measurement of weight change with a true zero point, enabling ratio comparisons.
15. Proportion of weight lost – Ratio scale
A proportion is a ratio measure, as it ranges from 0 to 1, with zero meaning no weight loss.
16. Heart rate – Ratio scale
Heart rate is a count per unit time with a meaningful zero (no beats), making it ratio.
17. Percent shift in heart rate – Ratio scale
Percentage change is a ratio measurement; 0% shift indicates no change, and higher percentages indicate greater change.
18. False alarm responses – Ratio scale
The count of false alarms is discrete, with a true zero, suitable as ratio scale.
19. MMPI scores – Interval scale
Test scores reflect intervals with no true zero, suitable for interval measurement.
20. Number of children in family – Ratio scale
Family size is a count with a true zero, suitable for ratio analysis.
21. Anxiety sensitivity scale score – Interval or Ratio
The scale likely measures subjective levels; generally, such scores are interval, although some consider them ratio if zero indicates no sensitivity.
Variables in Study of Smoking and Birth Weight
22. Mother smoked (yes/no) – Nominal
This is a categorical variable indicating presence or absence of smoking, nominal.
23. Birth weight of the baby – Ratio scale
Continuous measurement with a true zero, allowing ratio comparisons.
24. Apgar score at 1 minute – Ordinal (sometimes treated as interval)
Scores are ordinal; however, since they are often used as interval for statistical analyses, they are sometimes treated as interval data.
25. Apgar score at 3 minutes – Same as above
Same reasoning applies.
Conclusion
Accurately classifying variables into their appropriate measurement scales is fundamental in health data analysis. It influences statistical testing, data interpretation, and overall research validity. Nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales each have unique properties that determine suitable statistical operations and meaningful insights derived from the data.
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