UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE

PUBLIC HEALTH
PCEM2

DESCRIPTION OF VARIABLE
YEAR 2016-17

PROFESSEUR AGREGE NONG SAO KRY

 I- DESCRIPTION OF VARIABLE
I- VARIABLE :
 Variable is any quality, characteristic or constituent of a person or thing that
can be measured . By definition a variable is subject to change.
A- Scale used to measure variable :
4 basic types of measurement scales .
1.Nominal scale:
a) Definition . It uses names , numbers or other symbols to assign
each measurement to one of a limit number of categories that cannot be ordered
one above the other.
b) Examples:

Nominal scale Categories

Sex Male, Female

Blood type type A, type B, type O, type AB
 2 .Ordinal scale:
a) Definition : An ordinal scale assigns each measurement to one
of a limited number of categories that are ranked in terms of a graded order.
b) Examples:
Ordinal scale Categories
b) For
Level of example:
knowledge Good, Average, Poor
Opinion on a statement Fully agree , agree, doubt ,
disagree .totally disagree.
3.Interval scale:
a) Definition : An interval scale assigns each measurement to one
of unlimited number of categories that are equally spaced. The scale has no true
zero point (i.e . The zero on the scale does not represent the true or theoretical
absence of the variable being measured ). With an interval scale, it is possible to
determine exactly how much more or how much less of the variable being
measured is represented by each category.
b) Examples: Temperature expressed in degree C or F is a variable
measured on interval scale ( Note that 0 degree C is the point at which water freezes;
it does not represent absence of temperature ).
 4.Ratio scale:
a) Definition : is a measurement begins at a true zero point and the
scale has equal intervals.
b) Examples: Variables measured on a ratio scale are length, time,
mass, volume , temperature .
B- Type of variable :
Qualitative and quantitative .
1. Qualitative variables:
a) Definition : The variables are measured at the nominal level
b) Examples: A diagnosis test for pregnancy give a result of either
positive or negative . The diagnostic test variable is a qualitative variable.
2. Quantitative variables:
a) Definition : Quantitative variables are variables that measured
at the nominal level.
b) Examples: A measurement of serum sodium concentration
(e.g. 140 mEq /L) express the exact amount of sodium in the serum .
 C- Basis for variation :
Is reflects the combine effects of several phenomena ( fig 1-1 )
The interpretation of clinical observation depends on the physician’s ability
to recognize the source of variation and to account for them in the diagnostic
and therapeutic process.

fig 1-1

1-True biologic variation :

a) Definition : True biologic variation in clinical measurement is the
sum many unknown factors , each of which contributes a small random effect.
Random effects based on the lows of probability are as likely to be positive (causing
the measurement to exceed the true value as they are to be negative (causing the
measurement to be less than the true value )
 b) Examples: A series of consecutive systolic blood pressure
measurements on the same patient will not be exactly equal because of true biologic
(random ) variability inherent in these measurements within a given patient.
2-Variation associated with making observations under different conditions :
a) Definition : Variation in clinical measurements occurs when the
conditions under which the measurements are made are known to effect the values
obtained. This type of variation is systematic rather than random, because its effect
is predictable and not based on the laws of chance.
b) Examples: A patient’s systolic blood pressure varies according to
the time of day.
3- Measurement Variation :
a) Definition : Measurement variation ( called measurement error )
is variation among clinical observation that is attribute to the measurement process.
Measurement error may have both a random component and systematic component.
-Random measurement error : random variation will center on the true value
.
- Systematic measurement error : variation is systematically higher or lower
than the true value.