BMI COMPARISON

East Coast vs. West Coast

Two Sample Hypothesis Testing



MARYAM EBADI
BIOSTATISTIC


Objective: BMI or Body Mass Index is a method of estimating and determining a
persons body fat levels. Geographically the West and the East coast experience two
different populations and trends in BMI numbers. Both the East and West have different
lifestyles, food habits, and environments. We will examine whether there is a difference
and whether one individual population has higher BMI that the other. We will compare
the mean of BMI numbers of 2008, 1999, and 1991 in five states in the West Coast and
East Coast. We chose these years because they represent a good spread and might
experience some change.

Variables:
Explanatory:
BMI or Body Mass Index is the explanatory variable. We could use BMI to predict
individuals weight.

Dependent:
Persons body fat level is dependent variable.
Control(s):
BMI measures for the years of 2008, 1999, 1991 in five states in the West and East
coast are controls.

Treatment:

Sampling population:
BMI of five East states New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and five
West states Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico.

General population:
West and East coast states

Expected sample size: N= 5 West Coast states
N=5 East Coast states






Sampling technique: Stratified Sampling: The population can be divided into known
groups, and each group sampled using a systematic approach. The number sampled in
each group should be in proportion to its known size in the parent population. In our
example the five states chosen from West and East Coast states are sub sets of the whole
population of West and East Coast.



Instrumentation (Are you using an existing surveys to collect information? Is it
validated? Are you developing your own survey? If yes, how will you ensure the
validity of your instrument?):
We will use our own date collecting. To ensure validity of our data collecting we will
stratify questionnaire data collection, accurate up to date. We will use population data
that may be available and it may help us identify people's age or social background
effectively.



Protocol (How do you plan to carry out study? What steps will you be taking? Be
very specific?):
We would collect data on Body Mass Index from the following states (East states
New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and five West states Oregon,
California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico)in a stratified sampling manner.



Data Summary:
East 2008 BMI NUMBERS
State New York Maine Pennsylvania Ohio West Virginia
Mean BMI 497 505 501 538 524

East 1999 BMI SCORES
State New York Maine Pennsylvania Ohio West Virginia
Mean BMI 495 507 498 535 524

East 1991 BMI SCORES
State New York Maine Pennsylvania Ohio West Virginia
Mean BMI 412 423 420 450 443


West 2008 BMI SCORES
State Oregon California Nevada Arizona New Mexico
Mean BMI 527 501 507 523 554

West 1999 BMI SCORES
State Oregon California Nevada Arizona New Mexico
Mean BMI 525 496 508 523 554

West 1991 BMI SCORES
State Oregon California Nevada Arizona New Mexico
Mean BMI 439 419 434 445 480

Method: A Hypothesis Test will be preformed for the years 2008, 1999, and 1991
for the mean of BMI numbers between the two populations, East and West Coast.
The requirements are completed for Hypothesis Testing 1) The true standard
deviations of both populations are unknown. 2) The two samples are independent.
3) Both samples are simple random samples. 4) Both samples come from
populations having normal distribution. In doing this we can test a claim about a
population parameter, in this case the means of the West and East. Because the data
indicates that the mean of the West is higher in BMI numbers, I will use that for our
alternative hypothesis. This will determine whether the West has an equal mean of
BMI numbers or higher mean compared to the East within the past years.

Procedure
1)
A. Hypothesis Testing BMI 1991
BMI Measures BMI Measures
for East Coast for West Coast
= 429.6 = 443.4
Sx =16.13381542 Sx = 22.61194375
n = 5 n = 5

C-Level : 0.95
H
0
:
1
=
2

1

H
1
:
1
<
2
*Results: t= - 1.110882126
p = .2300092655 >

We fail to reject our null hypothesis. Therefore there is not sufficient evidence to
support the claim that the West Coast had higher BMI numbers than the East Coast
in 2008.





2)
A. Hypothesis Testing for BMI 1999
BMI Measures BMI Measures
for East Coast for West Coast
= 511.8 = 521.2
Sx =17.19592975 Sx = 21.81054791
n = 5 n = 5

C-Level : 0.95
H
0
:
1
=
2

1

H
1
:
1
<
2

*Results: t= -.7567859114
p= .2360110039 >
We have insufficient evidence to warrant rejection. We fail to reject the null
hypothesis. We conclude that there is not sufficient evidence to support a conclusion
that the West Coast population have higher BMI numbers than the East Coast
population.





3)
A. Hypothesis Testing for BMI 2008

BMI Measures BMI Measures
for East Coast for West Coast
= 513 = 522.4
Sx = 17.39252713 Sx = 20.70748657
n = 5 n = 5


C-Level : 0.95
H
0
:
1
=
2

1

H
1
:
1
<
2


*Results: t= - .7772577643
p = .2300092655 >
There is insufficient evidence to reject the fact that
1
is equal to
2
. There is not
enough evidence to claim that the West Coast has higher BMI numbers than the East
Coast based on the number of 2008




Analysis: While using the Two-Sample Hypothesis Tests it can be inferred that during
the years 1991, 1999, 2008 BMI numbers in the West were not higher than the Easts.
Although there are overwhelming cultural differences, such as different lifestyle, food ,
populations and circumstances, it is evident that there is not enough support to reject the
claim that mean of BMI numbers in the West is constant with the mean of the East in
1991, 1999, or 2008. In the three years we examined, we were unable to reject any of the
null hypotheses. We do not have enough evidence to claim that the West Coast has higher
BMI scores than the East Coast during any of the years.

Conclusion: We fail to reject the null hypothesis that BMI scores in the East and
West are equal. There does not seem to be a significant difference between the means of
the East and West in 1991, 1999, and 2008 for the BMI measures. One does not have
higher measures than the other.

Expected threats to reliability?
Methods of data collection and analysis: Replicability of data collection and analysis are
dependent upon descriptive definition by researcher.




Expected potential for bias?
Selection bias based on the chosen States.
Measurement bias while measuring BMI Body Index Measures.
Confounding while interpretations of the results.