Introduction to Biostatistics
Curriculum guideline
Material will be presented primarily in lecture form with some time allocated for classroom discussion, correction of assigned exercises and completing exercise using a statistical software and spreadsheet.
- Simple Random Sample.
- Frequency distribution.
- Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion.
- Calculating the probability of an event: conditional, joint, marginal probabilities.
- Probability distributions of discrete variables: Binomial distribution and Poisson.
- Probability distribution of continuous variable: Normal distribution.
- Distribution of the sample mean: central limit theorem.
- Distribution of the sample proportion.
- Confidence interval for a population mean.
- The t-distribution.
- Confidence interval for a population proportion.
- Determination of sample size for estimating means.
- Determination of sample size for estimating proportion.
- Confidence interval for the variance of a normally distributed population.
- Hypothesis Testing: Formulating and testing a research hypothesis, l-tailed tests about a sample mean, type 1 error.
At the end of the course, the successful student should be able to:
- organize and summarize health science data;
- draw a scientific sample from a population;
- apply the appropriate inferential statistics technique to reach decisions about a population by examining a sample;
- apply these statistical techniques both manually and using statistical and spreadsheet software.
A final course grade will be determined based on the following:
Semester tests (2-3) | 50% |
Class participation | 0-05% |
Assignments and quizzes | 15-20% |
Final examination | 30% |
100% |
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students
Triola, Mark M., M.D. Biostatistics for the Biological and Health Sciences, Latest Ed. Pearson Addison Wesley. ISBN 0-321-19436-5. and a Student’s Solution Manual ISBN 0-321-28689-8
OR
Daniel, Wayne W. Biostatistics: A Foundation for Analysis in Health Sciences, Latest Ed. John Wiley and Sons Inc.
Statistical Packages: Any Statistical software packages at the discretion of the instructor.
For Minitab software, the following guide could be used in class:
Ryan, Barbara and Brian Joiner. Minitab Handbook, Latest Ed. Wadworth Inc.
For Excel spreadsheet, one of the following texts could be used:
Berk, K. N. and P. Casey. Data Analysis with Microsoft Excel, Latest Ed. Course Technology Inc.
Middleton, M. R. Data Analysis Using Microsoft Excel, Latest Ed. Duxbury Press.