Question

Age - Quantitative vs Categorical

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It's important to consider how a variable is being used when determining if it is quantitative or categorical. For example, a researcher can study blood pressure by recording the systolic followed by the diastolic pressure and then calculate statistics like the mean and median diastolic reading in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). In this case, the researchers would be studying blood pressure as a quantitative variable. On the other hand, a researcher can study blood pressure by labeling patients as having low, regular or high blood pressure and then looking at the proportion of patients in each category. In this case, blood pressure is a categorical variable.

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Describe at least one way in which age can be studied as a quantitative variable and then describe at least one way in which age can be studied as a categorical variable.

Answer 1

Example of a way in which age can be studied as a quantitative variable :

Consider the situation in which a child is to be admitted to the first clas in a primary school. There will be statutary requirement of completing a certain age, say 5 years at the time of admission. Since in this situation, exact numerical value of age in terms of number of years, months and days completed at the day of admission is required, age is studied as a quantitative variable :

Example of a way in which age can be studied as a categorical variable

Consider a situation in which we are conducting competition among children. In order to make the competition proper, we group the children into various categories: age 5 years to 8 years, above 8 years but below 12 years etc. In this situaton, exact age is not considered but only the various categories of age are considered. So, age is studied as a categorical variable.