MEASUREMENT

OF VARIABLES
GRACE R. ABAD, MN, MAN
• Measurement requires assigning numerical values to
variables. Ways of assigning these numbers include
counting and ranking of objects or events. (Polit And
Beck : 2004)
1. QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT
OF VARIABLE

• Data are defined in sucha

a way that they can be
explained accordig to
scale of measurement
SCALE OF MEASUREMENT

• Refers to a device that assigns code numbers to subjects

in order to place them in a continuum with respect to the
attributes being measured such as height, weight,
temperature and nursing care. The code is zero or none
to 100.
• Example: definition of patient’s satisfaction is measured
by the number of times a day the call bell rang or the
number of times the patient went out of bed
• Data in numerical form as easily manipulated and
analyzed. Variables are grouped into discrete categories,
and by counting the number of times the phenomenon
occurs according to the frequency scale
• Example:
• Bell -2 classes
• A. bell rang
• B. does not ring the bell
• Then record the number of frequency of occurrence of
all bell ringing at the end of the day
• Example:
• Sex- 2 categories
• A. male
• B. female
• Civil status- 5 categories
• A. single
• B. married
• C. separated
• D. widow
• E. divorced
2. QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTION OF
VARIABLES OR THE DESCRIPTIVE
ANALYSIS PHASE
• A. Nominal Scale
• This consist of the lowest level of
measurement by assigning characteristics of
variables into categories, distinct from one
another.
• Data are categorized and ranked according to
frequency of occurrence, consistent with the
levels of measurement
• Example: variables amenable to
nominal measurement include:
• Sex-1 male 2 female
• Religion 1 catholic 2 protestant 3
others
• Occupation 1 employed
• 2 unemployed
• B. ordinal scale- used in ordering
observations, according to magnitude or
intensity.
• Data are categorized and ranked ordered
from most to least or highest to lowest
according to frequency of occurrences or
values.
TYPE OF ORDINAL SCALE

• 1. Likert
scale- Respondents are asked
to indicate the degree to which they
agree or disagree with the ideas
expressed by the indicator. It is used
to assess the attitude of respondents
towards the variables being
investigated.
• Example: variables on sanctity of
marriage
• SA- Strongly agree
• A- agree
• U- Uncertain
• D- Disagree
• SD- Strongly Disagee
 2. GRAPHIC RATING SCALE
• Respondents are asked to respond
in a bipolar continuum such as from
highest to lowest or most to least.
• A simple line on which one marks
an X anywhere between the
extremes with an infinite number of
places where the X can be placed
• Example: on variables about breast feeding that
promotes the type of care:
• 1. optimum quality care
• 2. average quality care
• 3. minimum quality care
• 4. Very little quality care
• 5. no quality care at all
• What is your concept of health care services?
• A. health care should be availabe to all people
• B. rich and poor alike can benefit from greater availability
of health care
• C. free health care for all would be in the interest of the
nation itself
• D. congress must enact a law making free health care for
allwho need it
4. SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL

• This is used to measure the meaning of

concepts to determine the emotional
–evaluative component of the
respondents attitude.
• In this scale respondents are asked to rate
their ttitude towards a given concept or
proposition using several options
• Motherhood means
• Bad good
• Passive active
• Weak strong
• Irresponsible responsible
INTERVAL LEVEL MEASUREMENT

• This consist of real numbers as data

that can be categorized and ranked
as used in the study.
• This also specify the distance
between ranks. Categories represent
the actual numbers of the scale
• Example;
• Nursing care for hyperthermia-
hydrotherapy take and record the
temperature after hydrotherapy
• 1st category- 38.5’C
• 2nd category-37.6’C
• 3rd category-37.4’C
• 4th category- 37.8’C
• Check the difference in each
category and find the average
temperature reading then
analyze the implications of
hydrotherapy on fever using the
difference in temperature
reading
2. GUTTMAN SCALE

• Used to assess the

attitudes of respondents,
using a continuum of
cumulative statements
6. RATIO LEVEL OF MEASUREMENT

• This consist of data that can

be categorized and ranked.
• Distance between ranks is
specified up to the zero point
level
• Example: two groups of patients
ask for pain medication, but
during the study period, it is
possible that one group will
refuse pain medication which is
considered the ratio data or the
zero point level