Session 1.

5 Normal Distribution Curve

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Variability
Variation is the rule and not the exception Inherent in all biological measurements. from one individual to another, from one occasion to another, from one observer to another, etc. Statistical techniques help us cope with such variability.

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Frequency distributions
Provides a way of organizing a collection of measurements grouped into well defined classes (first column of the table). Help us to determine what levels are common and what levels are rare. The second column shows the number in each class (absolute frequency) The third column shows the numbers as percent of total number (relative frequency) The last column is the cumulative frequency Could be presented in tabular or graphic form

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Cumulative frequency plot

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Frequency distributions
Histogram of seum uric acid distribution in 267 healthy males

22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

7.0

7.5

8.0

8.5

9.0

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

What is the normal distribution:

The normal distribution is a descriptive model It describes real world situations based on study results It is used for continuous quantitative variables. It has an infinite range. It is the distribution that is normally seen. Although it is called Normal it applies to most biomedical measurements specially with big number of observations. It is the most important tool in analysis of epidemiological and research data.

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Characteristics of the normal distribution

Has a Bell Shape Curve and is Symmetric It is Symmetric around a central axis (the mean) The halves of the curve are the same (mirror images) Mean = Median = Mode determine the location of the curve The total area under the curve is 1 (or 100%)

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Measures of Location and Dispersion

http://www.spsu.edu/math/deng/m2260/stat/nd1/ND.html

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Examples with approximate Normal distributions

Height Weight IQ scores Standardized test scores Body temperature Repeated measurement of same quantity
http://www.stat.sc.edu/~west/javahtml/CLT.html By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Distinguishing features of the normal distribution

The mean 1 standard deviation covers 68% of the area under the curve (68% of cases) The mean 2 standard deviation covers 95% of the area under the curve (95% of cases) The mean 3 standard deviation covers 99.7% of the area under the curve (almost all cases)

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

The 68-95-99.7 Rule

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Example: Young Womens Height

The heights of young women are approximately normal with mean = 64.5 inches and std.dev. = 2.5 inches.

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

% of young women between 62 and 67? % of young women lower than 62 or taller than 67? % between 59.5 and 62? % taller than 68.25?

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006

Skewed Curves

Skewed right (positive) (+)

Skewed left (negative) (-)

Mode

Median

Mean

Mean

Median

Mode

By: AS Ibrahim and NNH Mikhail, Ankara Cancer Epidemiology Course, April 2006