EXAMPLE 6.

2 Calculating Sample Size When Using the Chi-Squared Test

Problem: The research question is whether patients who have edema have higher risk of complicated
cholecystectomy than those without edema.
% of complicated cholecystectomy (according to Parkland GS [ ] is 67/176= 0.381))

30% Wall thickness och PGS 3-5

15% edema och PSG 3-5

Increases risk by atleast 0.1..

Tai Chi have a lower

risk of developing back pain than those who jog for exercise. A review of the literature
suggests that the 2-year risk of back pain is about 0.30 in joggers. The investigator hopes
to be able to show that Tai Chi reduces that risk by at least 0.10. At  (two-sided) = 0.05
and power = 0.80, how many subjects will need to be studied to determine whether the
2-year incidence of developing back pain is 0.20 (or less) in those who do Tai Chi?
Solution: The ingredients for the sample size calculation are as follows:
1. Null Hypothesis: The incidence of back pain is the same in those who jog and those
who practice Tai Chi.
Alternative Hypothesis (two-sided): The incidence of back pain differs in those who
jog and those who practice Tai Chi.
2. P2 (incidence in those who jog) = 0.30; P1 (incidence in those who practice Tai Chi) =
0.20. The smaller of these values is 0.20, and the difference between them (P1 – P2) is
0.10.
3.  (two-sided) = 0.05;  = 1 – 0.80 = 0.20.
Looking across from 0.20 in the leftmost column in Table 6B.1 and down from an
expected difference of 0.10, the middle number for  (two-sided) = 0.05 and  = 0.20 is
the required sample size of 313 joggers and 313 Tai Chi practitioners to complete the study