Variables and Conceptual

Frameworks

Ewnetu Firdawek

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 Outline

• Variables
– Types of variables
– Selecting Variables
– Operational definition
• Conceptual Frameworks
• Practical Session

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 Variables
• VARIABLE is a characteristic of a person, object, or phenomenon
which can take on different values, which could be in the form of
numbers or non-numerical characters.
• Example: weight, age, height, HIV status, Education, attitude
• The properties of a data to be analyzed is described in certain
terms.
• For the purpose of data description and statistical analysis data are
looked at as VARIABLES.
• Data are classified basically as either NUMERICAL or
CATEGORICAL, and further classified.
• NUMERICAL data are expressed in number.
• CATEGORICAL data are expressed in classes or categories.
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• Numerical data may be further classified as
DISCRETE or CONTINUOUS variables.

• DISCRETE variables are those expressed in the form

of whole numbers as 1, 2, 3, 4.
– The value of a discrete variable does not take in between
whole numbers.
– Example: the number of children a woman has, the number
of pregnancies, the number of sexual partners,

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• CONTINUOUS variables are measured in a
continuous scale.
– These variables can take any value in between whole
numbers.
– Example: Weight 7.23 kg, Height 1.56 m, Age,
– A continuous variables can be grouped into ordered
categorical variables which are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
, i.e. no overlapping in groups, example in age groups as
0-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years,….

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• CATEGORICAL variables are ones where each
individual is a member of one of the mutually
exclusive classes.
– Categorical data may be NOMINAL or ORDINAL.
– NOMINAL data are not ordered to one above the other.
• Example; sex(male or female), marital status (married, divorced,..),
religion, ethnicity,
– ORDINAL data are ordered one above the other.
• Example; grading of pain (mild, moderate, severe), categorized
educational status (illiterate, read and write, primary, secondary,
tertiary),….

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• In our problem analysis we have identified different
factors that influence or affect our interest .
• These factors and our interest are also termed as
variables.
– Example: maternal death, waiting time, availability of
drugs, availability of trained health personnel, distance
from health institution, women nutritional status, previous
history of complications, superimposed diseases, …..
• However, the variable of our interest “Maternal
Death” and the other variables relate differently,
based on these relationships variables can be further
classified.
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• Variables can be classified further based on their
interrelationship and the effect of one variable on the
other.
• Commonly variables are classified as DEPENDENT
and INDEPENDENT variables.
• But there are further classifications as
MODERATOR, INTERVENING/INTERMEDIATE,
DISTAL variables.

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• DEPENDENT variables /Outcome, Endogenous, Response/
– This is the factor we are interested , or the response or outcome
variable.
– The observed aspect of the behavior of an organism that has
been stimulated.
– The factor to be observed and measured to determine the effect
of other independent variables.
– It is the variable that can change as a result of the variation in
the independent variable.
– It is called DEPENDENT because its values depends upon the
values of the independent variable.
– Ex: CVSD are affected by weight, dietary habit, exercise,
family Hx.

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• INDEPENDENT Variables: /Explanatory, Exogenous/
• It is a stimulus variable, or an input that operates either within
a person or within the environment to affect the status of the
dependent variable.
• It is the factor to be measured or to be manipulated, in case of
experimental studies, to determine its relationship with the
observed phenomenon or dependent variable.
• As a characteristic, Independent variables are the cause for a
change in the other variable, specifically on the dependent
variable.
Example: Feeding habit affects nutritional status, HIV status is
determined by sexual activity.

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• INTERMEDIATE Variables: /Moderator/
• These are variables which does not have direct relationship
with the outcome variable but affects the independent variable.
• The change in the INTERMEDIATE variable determines the
value of the INDEPENDENT variable whereby the
DEPENDENT variable.
• DISTAL / EXTERNAL Variables:
• Are variables that are included to make the study
comprehensive and complete as much as possible in terms of
the factors that affect the outcome variable.
• Such variables are usually expected to have an effect on the
dependent or the intermediate variables.

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 What is confounding?
• Example eg. Sanitary practice,
health seeking practice
Variables that might be on
the causal pathways

Maternal psychological Main interest Infant diarrhoea in the

morbidity during pregnancy first two months of life
(ever? frequency?)

May reduce
or increase
the effect
Why?
How do you
measure?
Possible confounding variables Logistic regression (if
binary) or Poisson
regression (if count )
eg. educational level, infant gender,
residence (urban/rural), sanitary
condition of surrounding etc
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 READING ASSIGNMENT:2

 Confounding Factors?
 Measures to Minimize Confounding effect?

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 Considerations to select Variables
• Objective of the study
– Related to direct relation to the study
• Theoretical Consideration:
– Related to theories
– Related to literatures
• Design Considerations
– Related to control and Bias/confounding effects
– Related to the type of study design
• Practical Considerations
– Related to resources
– Can not cover all variables at a time
– Specific to important variables
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 Operational Definitions
• Are working definitions.
• Variables that are in use for particular study should be
defined in the context of that particular study.
• However the definitions are not expected to be an
ordinary dictionary definitions though the definition
should not deviate from its original meaning.
• Operationalization is the way used to make variables
measurable, to be expressed in the form of numbers
or concepts or called themes.
Ex:…
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Operational Defin…..

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 Conceptual Frameworks
Conceptual Frameworks Vs. Conceptualization

CONCEPTUALIZATION:
• Is the process of specifying and refining abstract concepts into
concrete terms.
• Here the researcher needs to understand the general purpose of the
research, determine and identify relevant theories, literatures related
to the topic and specify the meaning of the concepts and variables to
be studied.
• Then formulate the general hypothesis, objective or research
question.
• Done at the beginning of research project.
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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK:
• Conceptual framework is by far a schematic representation
showing how different variables are interacted to each other
and affects the dependent variable.
• The development of conceptual framework is basically
dependent on the problem analysis tree and follows detail
description of each variables under consideration within the
literature review.
• Conceptual framework is a tool that helps the researcher to
understand the situation under investigation.
• Having conceptual framework is helpful in the analysis and
determination of the relationship of different variables to each
other.
• Conceptual frameworks can take different structure, from the
most simple and linear structure to complex structures.
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Conceptual framework designed to show the effect of maternal employment on
child nutritional status. (Birhanu Zenebe , AAU, Masters Thesis, 2000)
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Conceptual frame work developed to show the factors that influence successful
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and sustained CBRHP (Daniel Argaw (MD), AAU Masters Thesis, 2002.
 Assignment 3
Practical Session

Select study topics

Set objectives
Identifying Study Variables
Operationalizing Study Variables
Developing Conceptual Frameworks

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Thank you

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