VARIABLE

Prepared by:
MA. TERESA A. MONDERIN, RN-MAN
Disclaimer…
For ACADEMIC
Purposes Only.
No Copyright
infringement intended in
all references, materials
and sources used. The
Author/s reserves the
rights.
 VARIABLE
 Something that varies
 Concepts under study
 Different from one person to
another person
 Example:
Weight, height, body temp.
perception, views, opinion
ANY QUALITY OF A PERSON,
GROUP OR SITUATION THAT
VARIES OR TAKES ON
DIFFERENT VALUES- TYPICALLY
NUMERIC VALUES

Central building block of

quantitative studies
Heterogeneity
Degree of variability of
attributes in a group
HETEROGENEOUS
 When an attribute is
extremely varied in the group
under investigation
HOMOGENEOUS

 When amount of
variability is limited

Example : height among

toddler and 16 years old
 TYPES OF VARIABLES
I. ATTRIBUTE and Active Variables

A.Attribute Variable:
 Characteristics of
research subjects
Example: age, blood
type or weight
B. Active Variable:
 when an
investigator creates a
variable
 Example: methods
 II. Continuous, Discrete &
Categorical Variables
CONTINUOUS Variable
Values along a continuum
 Can assume an infinite
number of values from two
points
 Example: weight, grade,
temperature
DISCRETE Variable
Has a finite number of
values
between any two points
representing discrete
quantities
Example: number of
children, students, partners
CATEGORICAL
VARIABLES
 Variables that take on a
handful of discrete non-
quantitative values
 Example: Gender, Blood
type, Year level
 DICHOTOMOUS
VARIABLE
 III. Independent and
Dependent Variable
INDEPENDENT
 the presumed cause
DEPENDENT
 the presumed effect
Example:
A Researcher investigate on
how smoking leads to the
development of Emphysema

Independent : Smoking

Dependent: Development of
Emphysema
 The term Independent and
Dependent Variables are used to
indicate direction of influence
Example:
A study on the mental health of caregivers of
Retarded Children. It was found out that
Mothers have better mental health than
Fathers

Independent : Gender
Dependent : Mental Health
 Two or more Independent Variables

Example:
“ Impact of Breast Feeding & Touch
to Infant Weight Gain”

 Two or more Dependent variables

Example:
Evaluation of Creative Teaching to
Knowledge and Attitude of
Nursing Students
 Variables are not inherently
dependent or independent

Examples:
“ Effects of Exercise on
Diabetes”
“ Impact of Diabetes to the
development of visual
disability”
EXERCISES:

1. Evaluation of the effect of

Attitudes of Nurses on the extent of
Recovery of Post Operative
Patients

2. The assessment of the profile of

parents and their perception on the
stressors they experienced in their
child’s hospitalization
4. Effectiveness of Health Education
Handout in the Prevention of
Complication in Diabetes

5. AWARENESS AND
COMPLIANCE OF FEMALE
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ON
SELF-BREAST EXAMINATION
PRACTICES
 REFERENCES
LoBiondo-Wood Geri & Haber, Judith, Nursing Research- Methods and Critical Appraisal for
Evidence-Based Practice, 9th Edition, Mosby ( 2017)

Nieswiadomy, Rose Marie, Foundation of Nursing Research, 6th Edition, Pearson (2011)
(https://www.medicosrepublic.com/foundations-in-nursing-research-6th-edition-pdf-
free-download/)

(https://www.gums.ac.ir/Upload/Modules/FTPManager/Upload/Upload22194/Foundations%2
0of%20Nursing%20Research%20.Pdf)

McNally, Rand , Nursing Research - E-Book: Methods and Critical Appraisal for Evidence-
Based Practice (https://sites.google.com/site/hnhgyg6g/-pdf-full-nursing-research---e-book-
methods-and-critical-appraisal-for-evidence-based-practice-ebook)

Pam Moule, Helen Aveyard and Margaret Goodman, Nursing Research: An Introduction,
SAGE Publication (2016)
( https://study.sagepub.com/mouleaveyard3e)
Polit, Denise & Beck, Cheryl, Essentials of Nursing Research, Appraising
Evidence for Nursing Practice, 9th Edition, Wolters Kluwer Health (2018)

Polit, Denise & Beck, Cheryl, Nursing Research, 11th Edition, Wolters Kluwer Law
& Business, (2020)
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
“Trust in the Lord with Thank You!
all thine heart; and lean
not unto thine own GOD
understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge him, BLESS
and he shall direct thy &
paths.” Keep Safe!