Statistics Exercise-28: Zalon, M. L. (2004). Correlates (10 Q) & Research Article Exercise #40: Salsberry, P. J. (2003). Why are some children still uninsured? (10 Questions)

Exercise #40

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Source: Salsberry, P. J. (2003). Why are some children still uninsured? Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 17 (1), 32−8.

Introduction

In an effort to understand why children remain uninsured, Salsberry (2003) interviewed low-income parents in Ohio and compared children with and without insurance. This cross-sectional survey design included a sample of 392 low-income parents. Subjects were chosen from two groups, those with a Medicaid history (n = 305) and those without a Medicaid history (n = 120). Those without a Medicaid history were chosen randomly. Results indicated specific profiles for different levels of insurance. These levels of insurance include uninsured, Medicaid-enrolled, and privately insured. “Statistically significant differences were found across the three groups in income, working status of the adults, education, health status of the adult and child, and in the utilization of health care” (Salsberry, 2003, p. 38). “Parents of the uninsured children were less knowledgeable about the application process. … Parents of uninsured children face multiple life challenges that may interfere with the enrollment process. Health problems, work schedules, and lack of knowledge may all need to be addressed before we can decrease the number of uninsured children in our nation” (Salsberry, 2003, p. 32)

Relevant Study Results

Table 1 on next page

And 10 questions to follow

In Table 1, Salsberry (2003) presents the demographic characteristics of the sample by level of insurance (uninsured, Medicaid-enrolled, and privately insured).

1. According to the “Introduction,” what categories were reported to be statistically significant?

2. In Table 1, is the No. in household reported as statistically significant among the three groups (uninsured, Medicaid, and privately insured)? Provide a rationale for your answer.

3. Should the null hypothesis for Marital Status (%) be rejected? Provide a rationale for your answer.

4. How many null hypotheses were rejected in the Salsberry (2003) study? Provide a rationale for your answer.

5. Does Marital Status or Education (of adults) have a greater statistically significant difference among the three groups (uninsured, Medicaid, or privately insured)? Provide a rationale for your answer.

6. Was there a significant difference in Working status for the three levels of insurance (uninsured, Medicaid-enrolled, and privately insured)? Provide a rationale for your answer.

7. State the null hypothesis for level of insurance and Gender–% female.

8. Should the null hypothesis for Question 7 be accepted or rejected? Provide a rationale for your answer.

9. In your own opinion, were the outcomes of this study what you expected?

10. In your own opinion, should the results of this study be generalized to other State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIPs)? Provide a rationale for your answer.