THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

                                                COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES

                                                             CHS 623: Biostatistics

 

Instructor:       Amal Mitra, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H.

                        Professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics

                        108 31st Ave North

                        Phone: 266-5705; E-mail: amal.mitra@usm.edu

           

Text:                Daniel, W. W. (1999). Biostatistics: A Foundation For Analysis in The Health Sciences, seventh edition. NY: John Wiley & Sons.

 

Objectives:      1.         To understand the basic principles and tools of descriptive and inferential statistics;

                        2.         To apply statistical methods appropriately in problem solving situations;

                        3.         To enhance skills in data management and analysis using SPSS.

 

Materials:       A scientific calculator will prove to be invaluable in saving time in solving problems of homework and taking exams.  A calculator will be allowed when taking tests.

 

ADA policy:    If a student has a disability that qualifies under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures.  Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders.  Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/ disability qualifies.  Box 8586; Telephone (601) 266-5024; TTY (601) 266-6837; Fax (601) 266-6035.

 

Grading policy:          

95 - 100% points                     :           A

                                    90 – 94% points                       :           A -

87 - 89% points                       :           B +

84 – 86% points                       :           B

80 – 83% points                       :           B –

77 – 79% points                       :           C +

74 – 76% points                       :           C

70 – 73% points                       :           C -

64 - 69% points                       :           D +

60 – 63% points                       :           D -

Below 60%                              :           F

 

Your final grade will be determined by your performance in the following areas:

                                    Midterm exam (closed book)                40%

                                    Final exam (open book)                        40%

                                    Takehome test on regression                 10%

                                    Literature review (2)                             10%

                                   

Exams:

Midterm and Final Exam:  Mainly problem solving and short answers.  You may need a calculator.  Test questions may cover class lectures, text, and exercises presented in the class.

There will be no makeup exams given.  If you miss an exam for an inexcusable reason, you will receive no credits for that exam.  If you have prior knowledge of a schedule conflict regarding an exam, please make arrangements to take it early with valid documents.

Assignments: Deadlines for the assignments will be honored.  If you turn in an assignment in late without an excusable reason, 2 points will be deducted for each day being late.

 

                                                         LITERATURE REVIEW

 

Purpose:  To know the application of statistical methods discussed in the class.  You should write the literature review using the following guidelines:

 

1.         Get a journal article which shows applications of some of the statistical tools discussed in the class.  Show what statistics (e.g. mean, standard deviation, bar chart etc.) have been used in the article and turn in a copy of the article along with your brief review.

2.         Your review should not exceed 10 sentences, which include:

            a. Title: the authors name, title of the paper, source of publication;

b. Abstract: aim of the study (one sentence), method used (two sentences), results (three - four sentences), conclusion (one sentence);

c. Statistical Applications: briefly describe applications of the statistical tools in this article.

 

Tentative Course Outline

 

WEEK                                     TOPIC/CHAPTER

01                                            Course overview. Introduction to biostatistics, review of statistical terms. Chapter 1

02                                            Measures of central tendency, Measures of dispersion. Chapter 2

03                                            Probability concepts, Screening tests. Chapter 2, 3

04                                            Binomial distribution, Poisson distribution. Chapter 4

05                                            Random sampling; Inferential statistics: steps of hypothesis testing, power, error rates Chapter 7

06                                            Sample size estimation (class notes)

07                                            Estimation. Chapter 6

08                                            Midterm Exam; Literature review-I due

09                                            Hypothesis testing: population means. Chapter 7.

10                                            Hypothesis testing: population proportions. Chapter 7.

11                                            Hypothesis testing: population variances. Chapter 7.

12                                            ANOVA. Chapter 8.

13                                            Correlation, regression. Chapter 9. Takehome test on regression (computer outputs given)

14                                            Takehome test on regression due. Chi-square distribution. Chapter 12

15                                            Review

16                                            Literature Review-II due; FINAL EXAM

 

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