In: Nursing
Refer to the accompanying data table. The entries are weights (pounds) and pulse (beats/min) from male subjects examined as part of a large study conducted by a health organization. The data are matched, so that the first subject has a weight of 169.1 and a pulse of 68, and so on. Given the context of the data in the table, what issue can be addressed by conducting a statistical analysis of the measurements?
A. Is there a relationship or an association between weight and pulse?
B. Does a change in weight cause pulse to increase or decrease?
C. Is there a relationship between the mean weight and the mean pulse?
D. Does a change in pulse cause weight to increase and decrease?
E. No conclusion can be drawn from the data.
Data Table
1 2 3 4 5
Weight 169.1 144.2 179.3 175.8 152.6
Pulse 68 64 88 72 64
A. There is a relationship between weight and pulse. A person who is overweight will have a higher BMI or higher fat content in their body. Their metabolism will be faster than normal people and inappropriate body(size) to weight ratio. As a result of this, heart has to work more to meet the body requirements and hence, the person will have a higher heart as well as pulse rate.
Infact in the given data too, it is quite evident that people with more weight have higher pulse rate as compared to the one with less weight.
B. Yes, as I mentioned earlier, increase in weight will increase the overall fat content in the body and reduce the ratio of body surface to body weight. As a result, the pulse rate increases.
C. We know that
Therfore mean weight = 169.1 +144.2 + 179.3 + 175.8 + 152.6 / 5 = 821/5 = 164.2
And mean pulse = 68 + 64 + 88 + 72 + 64 / 5 = 356/5 = 71.2
If we divide mean weight by mean pulse we will get 2.306.
If we individually divide all the individual weight by the individual pulse rate in the data provided we will get 2.486, 2.253, 2.037, 2.441 and 2.384 respectivily.
I personally do not think that there are enough evidence to conclude a relation between mean weight and the mean pulse.
D. No, I do not think that a change in pulse can cause weight to increase or decrease. This is because a higher or lower pulse rate can not effect the fat deposition of the body but the overall fat content of the body can definitly affect the heart rate or pulse rate. This is the reason obese people are more vulnerable to heart diseases.
E. No, it is not right to say that no conclusion can be drawn from the data provided. From the data itself it is quite evident that with increased weigh there is a significant increase in the pulse rate.