Essentials of Epidemiology in Public Health, Fourth EditionAnn Aschengrau and George SeageCopyright 2020 by Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company 1Experimental Study Design Suppose that you have been hired by the university administration to design a randomized experimental study to assess the following hypothesis among undergraduate students: Attending weekly yoga classes leads to better performance on exams. Be sure that your study design addresses the following elements:1. Refine the study hypothesis so that it is as specific as possible and contains all elements of a “good” hypothesis. Remember that the design, conduct, and analysis of the study flows from the hypothesis. 2. How will you find and recruit participants?o Are there any exclusion criteria that you would apply?3. How will you define the exposure of interest?o How will you assign exposure? What will the unexposed condition be?4. How and how often will you collect information on exam performance? 5. What steps will you take to maximize and assess compliance?6. What are the ethical concerns in this study? 7. What other information would you like to know in order to design this study?8. Discuss how you would conduct the data analysis and design shell tables to describe the characteristics of the participants and the main study results.
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Introduction:
In this scenario, we have been hired by the university administration to design a randomized experimental study to assess whether attending weekly yoga classes leads to better exam performance among undergraduate students. The following paragraphs will address each question in detail.
1. Refine the study hypothesis so it is as specific as possible and contains all elements of a “good” hypothesis.
The study hypothesis should be specific, measurable, and testable. The hypothesis should state that weekly yoga classes lead to better exam performance among undergraduate students. A “good” hypothesis should include the following elements:
– A clear statement of the dependent and independent variables
– A clear statement of the relationship between the dependent and independent variable
– Testable and measurable prediction
2. How will you find and recruit participants? Are there any exclusion criteria that you would apply?
To find participants, we can advertise the study through various university channels such as class announcements, flyers, and social media. Exclusion criteria could include students with pre-existing medical conditions that prohibit participation in yoga classes, and students with a history of regular yoga practice.
3. How will you define the exposure of interest? How will you assign exposure? What will the unexposed condition be?
We will define the exposure of interest as attending weekly yoga classes. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a yoga class group or a control group. The control group will not attend yoga classes but will continue with their normal routine.
4. How and how often will you collect information on exam performance?
We will collect information on exam performance through the university’s grading system. Exam scores will be collected at the end of the semester for all participants.
5. What steps will you take to maximize and assess compliance?
To maximize compliance, we will ensure that the weekly yoga classes are easily accessible and held in a convenient location on campus. We will also provide incentives for participants who attend all yoga classes. Compliance will be assessed by checking attendance records.
6. What are the ethical concerns in this study?
There are several ethical concerns in this study, including informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, and ensuring that participants are not harmed in any way. Participants will be informed about the study’s purpose and potential risks and benefits. Their privacy and confidentiality will be protected, and they will be free to withdraw from the study at any time.
7. What other information would you like to know in order to design this study?
We would like to know more about the types of yoga classes that will be offered, including the duration of each class, the level of difficulty, and the qualifications of the yoga instructors.
8. Discuss how you would conduct the data analysis and design shell tables to describe the characteristics of the participants and the main study results.
To conduct data analysis, we would use t-tests to compare exam scores between the yoga class group and the control group. Additionally, we would use regression analysis to adjust for potential confounding variables such as age, gender, and previous exam scores. We would design shell tables to describe the characteristics of the participants, including age, gender, GPA, and yoga experience. The main study results would be presented in tabular and graphical formats with descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and confidence intervals.
