VARIABLES

Mesfin Kote (BSc., MPH /Epidemiology/Biostatistics)

 VARIABLE
A variable is a characteristic of a person, object, or
phenomenon that can take on different values.
 These may be in the form of numbers (e.g. age) or
non-numerical characteristics (e.g. sex).

A simple example of a variable in the form of

numbers is ‘a person’s age’. The variable ‘age’ can
take on different values since a person can be 20 years
old, 35 years old and so on.
 TYPES OF VARIABLES
→ Numerical and categorical
 Numerical: Information is measured by assigning numbers
 We can also divided numerical/quantitative variable in to two:

 Discrete data and Continuous data/variable

 NUMERICAL VARIABLES …
a. Discrete variable: when numbers represent actual
measurable quantities rather than mere labels.
 Discrete data are restricted to taking only specified values often
integers or counts that differ by fixed amounts.
e.g. Number of new AIDS cases reported during one year
period, Number of beds available in a particular hospital

b. Continuous variable: represent measurable quantities but

are not restricted to taking on certain specific values i.e.
fractional values are possible
 e.g. weight, cholesterol level, time, temperature
 CATEGORICAL VARIABLES …

 Categorical/Qualitative variable: Information is

measured by assigning names to items (events)
according to a set of rules, which result on
different types of data.
 two types: Nominal and ordinal

 E.g.. Gender, blood group, Marital status

DEPENDING ON SCALES OF MEASUREMENT WE HAVE:

Four levels of measurement

 Nominal measures

 Ordinal measures

 Interval measures

 Ratio measures
 NOMINAL MEASURES

 The observations are classified into categories that

are different in character and cannot be measured or
ordered.
 Categories of the variable that are exhaustive and
mutually exclusive
 They are the lowest level of measurements

e.g. sex, marital status

 ORDINAL MEASURES
 The observations are classified into categories that can be
ordered in an ascending series. Variables whose attributes may
be logically rank-ordered along some progression.

 There is an obvious/ inherent rank order.

 It is more advanced nominal measure. It contains all the
characteristics of a nominal measure.

 For example, severity of an illness may be categorized as

mild, moderate or severe.
 INTERVAL MEASURES
 There is no natural starting value, zero doesn’t
have its meaning (doesn’t show complete absence
of the variable).
E.g.. Temperature, IQ
 Variables whose attributes are not only rank-
ordered but are separated by equal distances.
 Example temperature

 Interval measure is more advanced

 Interval measures don't have a true zero

 RATIO MEASURES
 Are similar to interval measures except that ratio measures
are based on a non arbitrary or true zero point.

 The observations are scores on a scale where the difference

between scores is numerically equal.

 E.g. the variable “number of years of education” is a ratio

measure because zero years of education has a true meaning.

 Height or weight, cholesterol level, age and income are

another examples.
Cont’d …
 EXERCISES:
Give the correct scales of measurement for each variable
1. Blood group (nominal)

2. Temperature (Celsius) (interval)

3. Hair colour (nominal)

4. Job satisfaction index (1-5)(ordinal)

5. Number of heart attacks (ratio)

6. Calendar year (ratio)

7. Serum uric acid (mg/100ml)(ratio)

8. Number of accidents in a 3 - year period(ratio)

9. Number of cases of each reportable disease reported by a health

worker(ratio)
10. The average weight gain of 6 1-year old dogs with a special diet
supplement was 950 grams last month.(ratio)
 CONT’D …

Reading assignment measurement error

DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

 Because in the health research we often look for

associations, it is important to make a distinction
between dependent and independent variables.

 Both the dependent and independent variables

together with their operational definitions (when
necessary) should be stated.
DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
…

 Thevariable that is used to describe or measure the

problem under study is called the dependent
variable.

 The variables that are used to describe or measure

the factors that are assumed to influence (or cause)
the problem are called independent variables.
 VARIABLES …
 For example, in a study of relationship between
smoking and lung cancer, "suffering from lung
cancer" (with the values yes, no) would be the
dependent variable and "smoking" (with the values
no, less than a packet/day, 1 to 2 packets/day, more
than 2 packets/day) would be the independent
variable.
 BACKGROUND VARIABLES

 In almost every study involving human subjects,

background variables, such as, age, sex, educational
status, monthly family income, marital status and
religion will be included.
 These background variables are often related to a
number of independent variables, so that they influence
the problem indirectly.
 Hence they are called background variables or
background characteristics.
 CONFOUNDING VARIABLE

 A variable that is associated with the problem and with a

possible cause of the problem is a potential confounding
variable.
 This type of variable may either strengthen or weaken
the apparent relationship between the problem and a
possible cause.
 CONT’D …

Cause Effect/outcome
Independent dependent
 
Other factors
(Confounding variables)
 EXAMPLE

A relationship is shown between the low level of

the mother’s education and malnutrition in under
5s. However, family income may be related to
the mother’s education as well as to malnutrition
 OPERATIONALIZING VARIABLES

 Operationalizing variables means that you make them

‘measurable'.
 Example: In a study on VCT acceptance, you want to
determine the level of knowledge concerning HIV in
order to find out to what extent the factor ‘poor
knowledge’ influences willingness to be tested for HIV.
 CONT’D
 The variable ‘level of knowledge’ cannot be measured as
such. You would need to develop a series of questions to
assess a person’s knowledge The answers to these
questions form an indicator of someone’s knowledge on
this issue, which can then be categorized.
 CONT’D …
If 10 questions were asked, you might decide that the
knowledge of those with:
 0 to 3 correct answers is poor,

 4 to 6 correct answers is reasonable, and

 7 to 10 correct answers is good.

To operationalize variables of interest: we use

 Existing measures

 Observation

 Self report
DEFINING VARIABLES AND
INDICATORS

 To ensure that everyone understands exactly what has

been measured and to ensure that there will be
consistency in the measurement
 CONT’D …
E.g. “waiting time”

e.g. Is it when the patient enters the front door, or

when he has been registered and obtained his
card?
 CONT’D …
Once the variables are selected, each of them should be
clarified. There are two aspects to be considered.
 Clear definition of variables in terms of objectively
measurable facts (i.e., operational definition) -
 The scale of measurement to be used in data collection.
 EXAMPLE

 Obesity

The two kinds of definitions are: conceptual and

operational
 Obesity” may be defined as: “excessive fatness”,
“overweight”
 a weight, based on weighing in underclothes and
without shoes, which exceeds by 10% or more, the
mean weight of persons of the subject's sex, age
and height
 CONT’D …

Operational definitions of variables are used in order to:

 Avoid ambiguity
 Make the variables to be more measurable