Variables: Sherine Shawky

Variables
Sherine Shawky, MD, Dr.PH

Assistant Professor
Department of Community Medicine &
Primary Health Care
College of Medicine
King Abdulaziz University
Learning Objectives
• Understand the concept of
variable
• Distinguish the types of variables
• Recognize data processing
methods
Performance Objectives
• Select the variables relevant to
study
• Perform appropriate data
transformation
• Present data appropriately
Definition Of Variable
“A variable is any quantity
that varies. Any attribute,
phenomenon or event that
can have different values”
Information Supplied
By Variables
Indices of Person
Indices of Place
Indices of Time
Specification of Variable
Clear precise standard definition
Method of measurement
Scale of measurement
Role Of Variable
Correlation
Interdependent Interdependent
Role Of Variable
Association
Independent Dependent
Independent Independent
Effect
Confounding
modifier
Dependent
Dependent
Types of Variables
Quantitative Qualitative
(continuous) (Discrete)
I- Quantitative
Variables
• Data in numerical quantities that can
assume all possible values
• Data on which mathematical
operations are possible
• Example: age, weight, temperature,
haemoglobin level, RBCs count
II- Qualitative
Variables
Qualitative variables are those
having exact values that can fall into
number of separate categories with
no possible intermediate levels
Nominal Ordinal
1- Nominal Variable
Unordered qualitative categories
Dichotomous Multichotomous
(2 categories) (> 2 categories)
2- Ordinal Variable
Ordered qualitative categories
Score birth order
Categorical social class
Numerical parity
discrete
Continuous & Numerical
Discrete Variables
Continuous Variable
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Numerical Discrete
0 1 2 3
Types of Variables
- Quantitative How much?
- Dichotomous
- Multichotomous Who, How,
- Score where, when,
- Categorical What,…etc.?
- Numerical How many?
discrete
Data Collection Tool
Age in years:
Gender:
1) male, 2) female
Social class:
1) low, 2) middle,
3) high
Height in cm: .
Data Transformation
Data Creation of
Reduction composite variable
Data Reduction
Example
• Data: Age from 47 individuals
• Arrange in ascending order: 20, 21,
22, 23, 23, 24, 25, 29,29, 30, 30,
34, 34, 34, 34, 34, 34, 35, 35, 36,
37, 39, 39, 40, 43, 43, 43, 46, 46,
47, 47, 48, 48, 48, 50, 52, 56, 56,
58, 59, 59, 60, 62, 64, 64, 67, 69
Data Reduction
Example (cont.)
• Calculate the range: 69-20= 49
• No. of intervals= 5
• Width of class= 49/5 = 9.8  10
• Class intervals= 20-29, 30-39,
40-49, 50-59, 60-69
Data Reduction
Continuous: 20, 21, 22…….69
Interval: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49,

50-59, 60-69
Ordinal: Twenties, Thirties,
Forties, Fifties, Sixties
Nominal: Young or Old

Creation Of
Composite Variable
Single Composite
variables variable
Quantitative Quantitative
Qualitative Qualitative
Data Presentation
Tabular Diagrammatic
Data Presentation
Variable Table Chart
Nominal - Frequency - Pie
- Percentage - Column or Bar
Ordinal - Frequency - Pie
- Percentage - Column or Bar
- Cumulative - Linear
frequency - Ogive
- Cumulative
percentage
Interval - Frequency - Histogram
- Percentage - Frequency
- Cumulative polygon
frequency - Ogive
- Cumulative
percentage
Continuous - Mean, SD - Scatter
- Mean, - Box plot
95 %CI
Frequency Table
Family Freq %
Planning (no.)
None 98 49.0
Pills 65 32.5
IUDs 22 11.0
Others 15 7.5
Total 200 100.0
Pie Chart
Column Chart
All categories Single Category
%
100% 40 32,5
80% 30 20,5
60%
20
40%
20% 10
0% 0
City A City B City A City B
None Pills Pill Users
IUDs Others
Bar Chart
All categories Single Category
City B City B 20,5
City A City A 32,5
0% 20%40%60%80% 100 0 10 20 30 40
%
%
Pill Users
None Pills
IUDs Others
Frequency and Cumulative
Frequency Table
Breast Freq % Cum. Cum
cancer (no.) Freq %
Stage I 64 32.0 64 32.0
Stage II 58 29.0 122 61.0
Stage III 43 21.5 165 82.5
Stage IV 35 17.5 200 100.0
Total 200 100.0 200 100.0
Linear Chart
Ogive
Percentage (Cumulative
Percentage)
Stages of Breast Cancer

Frequency and Cumulative Frequency
Table for Variable of Interval
Freq % Cum. Cum
(no.) Freq %
20-29 9 19.1 9 19.1
30-39 14 29.8 23 48.9
40-49 11 23.4 34 72.3
59-59 7 14.9 41 87.2
60-69 6 12.8 47 100.0
Total 47 100.0 47 100.0
Horizontal axis For Variable of Interval
Histogram Polygon
Class Boundaries Boundaries Mid
(1) (2) point
Lower Upper Lower Upper
20-29 20 30 19.5 29.5 24.5
30-39 30 40 29.5 39.5 34.5
40-49 40 50 39.5 49.5 44.5
50-59 50 60 49.5 59.5 54.5
60-69 60 70 59.5 69.5 64.5
Histogram
% %
35 35
30 30
25 25
20 20
15 15
10 10
5 5
0 0
20- 30- 40- 50- 60- 19.5- 29.5- 39.5- 49.5- 59.5-
69.5
70
Frequency Polygon
%
40
30
20
10
0
24,5 34,5 44,5 54,5 64,5
Tabular Presentation
of Quantitative Data
or
Variable Total Mean SD 95% CI
Age 47 42.1 13.5 38.2-46.0

(years)
Scatter Diagram
100
Weight in kgm
80
60
40
20
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Age in years
Box-whisker plot
AGE in years
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Male Female
N = 27 20
SEX
Conclusion
The variable is the basic unit required to
perform a research. The researcher has to
select the list of variables relevant to the
study objectives, specify every piece of
information and assign its role. The type
of variable should be set in order to
allow for proper data collection,
transformation and presentation.

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Variables

Sherine Shawky, MD, Dr.PH

Categorical social class

Interval: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49,

Nominal: Young or Old

City B City B 20,5

City A City A 32,5

Stages of Breast Cancer

Age 47 42.1 13.5 38.2-46.0

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