Statistical Primer for Athletic Trainers: Using Confidence Intervals and Effect Sizes to Evaluate Clinical...

Area of Science:

• Biostatistics
• Clinical Research Methodology

Background:

• Evaluating clinical meaningfulness of research remains a challenge for many readers.
• This article builds upon the 2015 discussion of statistical significance versus clinical meaningfulness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe confidence intervals (CIs) and effect sizes.
• To provide practical examples for clinicians to assess clinical meaningfulness.

Main Methods:

• Confidence intervals (CIs) are defined as estimated ranges from sample data likely to include population parameters.
• Effect size quantifies the magnitude of difference between two means, indicating the size of a statistically significant difference.

Main Results:

• Confidence intervals and effect sizes enhance the practical interpretation of research findings.
• These statistical tools aid in understanding the magnitude and precision of results.

Conclusions:

• Confidence intervals and effect sizes, in conjunction with statistical significance, assist practitioners in understanding clinical meaningfulness.
• Improved interpretation of research results leads to better clinical decision-making.