Research Methods

* Assignment 11 Please answer the questions provided.

Following is a database of information you have gathered from several participants in your study. The codebook is as follows:

1. ID=participant identification number

2. GENDER:

M=Male

F=Female

TM=Trans Male

TF=Trans Female

Missing or refused to answer=0

3. Employed:

0=Not employed

1=Employed

Missing=leave blank

4. Age: Continuous variable, age in years

5. Education=EDUC: Continuous variable, years of education

3. Years living with HIV=Years HIV: Continuous variable, total years since first HIV diagnosis

4. AUDIT: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Continuous scale from 0 to 40 

Link to AUDIT (if you want to try it): https://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/files/AUDIT.pdf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. 

IDGENDEREMPLOYEDAGEEDUCYEARS HIVAUDITAUDSES8021 045 1118  8022Mo44112119  8023M04711126  8024M14092231  8025 154 1321  8026F05010624  8027f051122027  8028F04912731  8029F055121521  8030F04712138  8031F0469219  8032F05813529  8033n1   33  8034 046 1027  8035F040131524  8036F054162419  8037 044 2127  8038M04582110  8039F05291021  8040 055 150  8041345026 025  8042F04610829  8043M14716834  8044M14091227  8045M0391368  8046M05312105  8047F04611630  8048M03212829  8049F1461458  8050M054131020  

QUESTIONS

1. List at least three missing or incorrectly entered responses in this database that could be corrected without major likelihood of making incorrect assumptions. How would you clean those responses?

2. Let's say that an AUDIT score of 16 or higher suggests a possible alcohol use disorder (AUD). Using 16 as a cutoff, recode the AUDIT into a new column called AUD as a dichotomous variable, whereby having a possible AUD=1 and not having a possible AUD=0.

3. Create a new variable called SES, by recalculating education and employment as follows: A person who is employed and has at least 12 years of education=2; all others=1. 

*Assignment 15 Please follow directions and answer the questions

 

1. Go to FL Charts at http://www.floridacharts.com (Links to an external site.)/ (Links to an external site.)
2. Look down the left menu for "Health Indicators"
3. Select from: Reportable & Infectious Diseases, Chronic Diseases,  Injury & Violence or Social & Behavioral Health
4. Select a disease or condition (whatever one you like!)
5. Below the one you chose, click on "deaths"
6. This will take you to the statistics for the deaths caused by that disease or condition.
7. Go to the upper left region of the page and select Palm Beach County.
8. Now, look at the two tables at the bottom of the page.
9. Answer the following

• How many deaths or cases in most recent year? What was the rate of deaths? How was that figure calculated?
• Is this higher or lower than previous years?
• Which county had the most deaths or cases in the most recent year?
• How does Palm Beach County compare with other counties?
• How does Palm Beach County rate compare with Florida rate?

IMPORTANT: If you are unable to answer these questions based upon the information available, try another disease or condition!