How Should Results Be Reported?
The report by Lozoff et al. found the following results:
| Gross Motor | Verbal IQ | |
| Children w iron deficiency (n=30) Children w/o deficiency (n=133) |
52.2 ± 13.0 58.8 ± 12.5 |
101.4 ± 13.2 102.9 ± 12.4 |
| Difference in means 95% CI for difference in means |
-6.6 (-11.6, -1.6) |
-1.5 (-6.5, 3.5) |
| p-value | p=0.010 | p=0.556 |
One good way of reporting on this would be:
Children with a history of anemia had statistically significant lower gross motor function scores than the comparison children who did not have anemia (difference in means: -6.6 points; 95% confidence interval: -11.6,-1.6; p=0.016). There was no statistically significant difference verbal IQ scores (difference in means: -1.5 points; 95% confidence interval -6.5, 3.5; p=0.556).
Thinking Ahead
- As you might predict, we can also compare categorical data by comparing frequencies to generate measures of significance. How might these measures differ from the relative measures of association (risk ratio and odds ratio) discussed earlier in this course?
- What might we do if we wanted to consider the role of multiple variables on a single continuous health outcome? Why might it be advantageous to consider multiple predictors at once?
