Assignment title: Information
QUESTION 1
Recently, Australian researchers conducted a study of the relationship between
optimism and colon cancer survival. Their hypothesis was that colon cancer patients
who had a positive outlook on life would have a lower five-year cumulative incidence of
mortality. The study included 100 recently diagnosed colon cancer patients who
underwent psychological testing and were found to have a optimistic outlook on life and
100 recently diagnosed colon cancer patients who underwent the same psychological
tests and were found to have a pessimistic outlook on life. By the end of five years of
follow-up, 50 of the 100 patients with the optimistic outlook and 75 of the 100 patients
with the pessimistic outlook had died from colon cancer.
o Set up and fill in the two by two table using
these data.
o What is the prevalence of colon cancer in
the study population?
o Compare the cumulative incidence of
mortality in the optimistic group to the
cumulative incidence of mortality in the
pessimistic group using a ratio measure of
association.
o State in words your interpretation of the
result you found in part C
QUESTION 2
1.
The following table describes hypothetical age-specific rates of heart disease in
India and the United States in 2009. Also included are hypothetical age
distributions for the two countries and the entire world population.
Age Group
(in years)
INDIA U.S.A. WORLD INDIA U.S.A.
< 30 60% 30% 50% 50 75
30-55 30% 40% 30% 80 150
> 55 10% 30% 20% 120 400
% of Population in Age Group Heart Disease Rate per 100,000
person-years
o Calculate the crude rate of heart disease for each of the two countries. Suppose
that you want to compare the rate of heart disease in India to that in the United
States. You know that age is an important risk factor for heart disease. Examine
the age distribution of each country's population.
o Should you use the two crude rates to compare the two countries? Why or why
not?
o Calculate an age-adjusted rate for heart disease in each country. Use the age
distribution of the entire world as your standard.
o Based on these answers, would you say that the age differences between India
and the United States account for the entire difference in crude heart disease
rates between the two countries? Why or why not?
QUESTION 3
1.
For this problem, note the following chart:
Age Group
(in years)
CITY A CITY B CITY C Massachuse
YOUNG 40% 50% 80% 60% 2 10 30
OLD 60% 50% 20% 40% 70 110 5
% of Population in Age Group Influenza Rate per 1,000
person-years
CITY A CITY B CITY
tts
There are 10,000 individuals in City A, which is located in Massachusetts. Eight
young individuals and 420 old individuals develop the flu over the course of a
year.
o Use these data to calculate the crude influenza rate per 1,000 individuals per
years in City A.
o What is the crude rate of influenza in City B?
o What is the crude rate of influenza in City C?
o Calculate an age-adjusted influenza rate for each of the cities. Use the age
distribution for the State of Massachusetts (shown in the table) as the standard.