Please, answer those questions
PUBH 6033—Week 1 Assignment
Worksheet: Study Designs, Variables, and Levels of Measurement
Instructions: Read the research scenario and identify the study design, variables, and levels of
measurement. Click on the answer box and select the correct answer for each question.
(2 pts each)
These are the answer choices:
Study designs: case-control, cohort, cross-sectional, experimental
Variables: dependent, independent
Levels of measurement: categorical*, ordinal, quantitative*
*Note: In this course, levels of measurement will be classified according to terms used in the
Gerstman textbook. Nominal is a synonym for categorical. Continuous, scale, interval, and ratio
are synonyms for quantitative.
Student Name: __________
Scenario 1:
Researchers tested whether a new drug called AMP50 (DRUG) could shrink cancer cells. Two
hundred patients were recruited from a large university hospital; half were given the new drug
while the other half were given a placebo. The results indicated a statistically significant
reduction in tumor volume (TUM) for patients taking the new drug as opposed to patients
taking the placebo.
Coding for study variables:
DRUG— 1 = AMP50 drug; 2 = placebo
TUM— tumor volume (V = (L x W2)/2); 0-300 cm2
Page 1 of 3
Question ANSWER
1. What study design was used in this scenario?
2. What was the independent variable?
3. What was the dependent variable?
4. What is the level of measurement for DRUG?
5. What is the level of measurement for TUM?
This study source was downloaded by 100000767764201 from CourseHero.com on 05-30-2024 16:13:46 GMT -05:00
Scenario 2:
A study was conducted to determine the source of an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome (MERS) in United Arab Emirates. A total of 27 cases with fever, cough, and shortness
of breath and 54 matched controls without symptoms were interviewed with a standardized
questionnaire. Exposure to dromedary camels at a farm in Abu Dhabi (EXP) in the week before
illness was significantly associated with MERS infection.
Coding for study variables:
EXP — dromedary camel exposure; 0 = no; 1 = yes
MERS — Middle East Syndrome infection; 0 = no; 1 = yes
Scenario 3:
A team of researchers was interested in assessing whether chlamydia infection (CLMD) was
associated with alcohol use (ALC) on a college campus in Illinois. Participants included 350
students who attended a sexually transmitted disease screening event in April 2019. Urine
samples were tested in a laboratory for presence of chlamydia and alcohol use was assessed by
self-reported questionnaire.
Coding for study variables:
CLMD – 0 = no; 1 = yes
ALC – Average # drinks per week (0-85)
Page 2 of 3
Question ANSWER
6. What study design was used in this scenario?
7. What was the independent variable?
8. What was the dependent variable?
9, What is the level of measurement for EXP?
10. What is the level of measurement for MERS?
Question ANSWER
11. What study design was used in this scenario?
12. What was the independent variable?
13. What was the dependent variable?
14. What is the level of measurement for CLMD?
15. What is the level of measurement for ALC?
This study source was downloaded by 100000767764201 from CourseHero.com on 05-30-2024 16:13:46 GMT -05:00
Scenario 4:
The DANLIFE Study is a large prospective investigation of psychosocial predictors of health in
Denmark. All children born after 1980 are given a personal registration number that can be
linked to databases that collect information on drug prescriptions, hospitalizations, income, and
employment over the lifecourse. Researchers used linked data to examine the association
between childhood adversities and development of type 1 diabetes (DIA). The results indicated
that parental separation (SEP, the most common childhood adversity) was significantly
associated with diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, even after adjusting for maternal education
(EDUC).
Coding for study variables:
EDUC— maternal education; 1 = low; 2 = middle; 3 = high
SEP – parental separation; 0 = no; 1 = yes
DIA — type 1 diabetes; 0 = no; 1 = yes
Page 3 of 3
Question ANSWER
16. What study design was used in this scenario?
17. What was the independent variable?
18. What was the dependent variable?
19. What is the level of measurement for EDUC?
20. What is the level of measurement for SEP?
This study source was downloaded by 100000767764201 from CourseHero.com on 05-30-2024 16:13:46 GMT -05:00
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