Examine whether there is significant difference in health literacy at baseline between participants in campus A compared to participants in campus B.
Assessment question for Applied Statistics and Data Analysis for Public Health (MMB725024)
The healthy lifestyle dataset provided is obtained from a hypothetical randomised control trial which was conducted to evaluate a lifestyle health education intervention. The intervention was delivered over 12 weeks and the main aim was to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours among university students. Some specific objectives of the study were to increase health literacy and improve healthy weight among study participants.
Measurements for weight, health literacy and other relevant study variables were taken at baseline and at the end of 12 weeks. Details of variables in the dataset are presented in table 1 below.
Using the dataset and background information provided, conduct statistical analysis to address the following and present your findings in a 3000-word statistical analysis report.
- Examine whether there is significant difference in health literacy at baseline between participants in campus A compared to participants in campus B.
- Evaluate the effect of the intervention on body mass index in the intervention group compared to the control group.
- Examine whether there is statistically significant difference in the proportion of asthma cases between the intervention and control groups.
- Determine whether there is statistically significant difference in health literacy at baseline between participants in age groups ≤20 years, 21-25 years and ≥26 years.
- Investigate and explain how health literacy at baseline, age and sex can be used to predict post-intervention body mass index among participants in the study.
Table 1. Description and coding of variables in the healthy lifestyle dataset
|
Variable name |
Description |
Coding information |
|
Age |
age of participants |
|
|
asthmadiag |
participant’s asthma status i.e. whether participant has asthma or has no asthma |
0: No asthma 1: asthma |
|
diabdiag |
participant’s diabetes status i.e. whether participant has diabetes or has no diabetes |
0: No diabetes 1: diabetes |
|
HealthLiteracy1 |
percentage health literacy score at baseline |
|
|
HealthLiteracy2 |
percentage health literacy score at the end of the study |
|
|
height |
height of participants |
|
|
intervention |
Intervention status i.e. whether participants were allocated to the active intervention or control group |
1: control group 2: intervention group |
|
location: |
location of participants (two campuses: campus A and campus B) |
1: campus A 2: campus B |
|
sex |
male or female |
1: male 2: female |
|
smoke |
Participant’s smoking status |
0: Not smoking 1: Smoking |
|
weight1 |
weight of participants before intervention |
|
|
weight2 |
weight of participants after intervention |
|
Note: you are required to study the nature and properties of the given data and invoke relevant assumptions to inform your choice of statistical techniques.
