Question

Many variables in medicine follow a normal distribution where there are approximately an equal number of values below the mean as above the mean. Describe two variables that would probably follow a normal distribution. Also note which of the two variables would be likely to have a larger standard deviation and why.

As an alternative question, what are some other potential probability distributions in the health care field such as bimodal, skewed, or exponential and give variables that would probably follow that distribution.

Answer 1

Few of the vriables which follow normal distribution are height, haemoglobin concentration, haematocrits.

Let's just consider height and haemoglobin concentration for now.

Height is the most general variable which has normal distribution as its not like most of the people are very tall or most o them are very short. We have an average height zone and few of the population lies outside this zone who are short or much taller than other. And the variance of the height is not that large because the difference between the height of individuals is small.

Next the haemoglobin concentration is also something which has an average values about which most of the data is concentrated. But there are cases when person suffering from a disease has high or low haemoglobin concentration. But as its measured in ppm, so the variance is relatively larger.

So, standard deviation of haemoglobin concentration is lasrger than the standard deviation of heights.