Question

Importance of linear regression in research analysis.

Answer 1

(Q) Importance of linear regression in research analysis.

(Ans) In simple terms, regression analysis is a quantitative method used to test the nature of relationships between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. Linear regression is a statistical procedure for calculating the value of a dependent variable from an independent variable. Linear regression measures the association between two variables. It is a modeling technique where a dependent variable is predicted based on one or more independent variables.In linear regression, each observation consists of two values. One value is for the dependent variable and one value is for the independent variable. In this simple model, a straight line approximates the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variable.

In biomedical or clinical research, the researcher often tries to understand or relate two or more independent (predictor) variables to predict an outcome or dependent variable. This may be understood as how the risk factors or the predictor variables or independent variables account for the prediction of the chance of a disease occurrence, i.e., dependent variable. Risk factors (or dependent variables) associate with biological (such as age and gender), physical (such as body mass index and blood pressure [BP]), or lifestyle (such as smoking and alcohol consumption) variables with the disease.

Importance of Linear regression in research analysis

• Descriptive – It helps in analyzing the strength of the association between the outcome (dependent variable) and predictor variables
• Adjustment – It adjusts for the effect of covariates or the confounders
• Predictors – It helps in estimating the important risk factors that affect the dependent variable
• Extent of prediction – It helps in analyzing the extent of change in the independent variable by one “unit” would affect the dependent variable
• Prediction – It helps in quantifying the new cases