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Indexes and boundaries for "quantitative significance" in statistical decisions
B Burnand1, W N Kernan, A R Feinstein
1Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510-8025.
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Researchers established quantitative significance boundaries for medical research. These guidelines aid in interpreting results beyond statistical significance, improving sample size calculations and study appraisals.
Area of Science:
- Medical Statistics
- Research Methodology
Background:
- Statistical significance (alpha) has established boundaries, unlike quantitative significance (delta).
- Lack of defined quantitative significance criteria hinders interpretation of research findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and propose boundaries for quantitative significance in medical research.
- To aid researchers in evaluating the practical importance of study results.
Main Methods:
- Review of 1056 comparisons (means, rates, correlations) in three general medical journals.
- Analysis of investigators' interpretations of quantitative significance alongside statistical significance.
Main Results:
- Proposed boundaries: mean ratio ≥1.2, standardized increment/odds ratio ≥0.28/2.2, correlation coefficient r ≥0.32.
- Identified boundaries for 'substantial' and 'highly' significant quantitative distinctions.
Conclusions:
- Established boundaries provide a framework for assessing quantitative significance.
- These quantitative benchmarks are valuable for sample size determination and result interpretation.