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PHC 6013: Measures
About making measurements
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Continuous variables | Quantified on an infinite scale. Can generate counts, proportions, medians, means, and standard deviations. |
| Discrete variables | A scale whose units are limited to integers. Can generate counts, proportions, medians, means, and standard deviations. |
| Dichotomous variables | Categorical variables with two possible values |
| Nominal variables | Have categories that are not ordered (ex. blood type). Can generate counts and proportions. |
| Ordinal variables | Have categories with intervals that are ordered but not quantifiable (ex. degree of pain). Can generate counts, proportions, and medians. |
| Dichotomous variables | Categorical variables with two possible values |
| Sensitive measurement | Can detect differences in a characteristic that are important to the investigator |
| Specific measurement | Represents only the characteristic of interest |
| Measurements should be: | 1) Sensitive 2) Specific 3) Appropriate 4) Distribution of responses 5) Objective |