Journal of Biometrics & Biostatistics

Statistics is a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of numerical data, whereas, mummy studies are about death and mortality in ancient populations. The combination of an exact science (statistics) together with attempts at the restoration of the biology of long dead individuals requires interpretation of statistical data and knowledge of biology. Here we review recent progress made in this field.

Bioarcheology relies on statistical modeling. These are mathematical models that embody a set of statistical assumptions concerning the generation of some sample data from a larger population. A statistical model represents a form of the data. The assumptions used in statistical models describe probability distributions, from which a particular data set is sampled. These probability distributions distinguish a statistical model from other, non-statistical, mathematical models. The statistical models are best represented by mathematical equations.

Introduction: Social isolation is a global public health challenge. Social isolation may worsen the prognosis of diabetes. Assessment of social isolation among older diabetic adults is important, and the use of valid and reliable measure is necessary. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of social isolation, and to investigate the factor structure and reliability of the abbreviated version of Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) among older diabetic patients in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, wherein type 2 diabetic patients aged 50 and above were consecutively recruited from Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, and General Hospital, Ijaye. A pre-tested, intervieweradministered, structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The factor structure of the LSNS-6 was investigated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with principal axis factoring method of estimation and varimax rotation. Estimates of the internal consistency reliability of the subscales and the overall scale were obtained from alpha coefficients.

Results: A total of 160 respondents with the mean age of 63.2 ± 9.6 years and the mean duration of diabetes of 7.5 ± 6.8 years participated in the study. Sixty-six (41.3%) respondents were socially isolated (LSNS-6 score < 12). The EFA revealed 2 factors (i.e. Family and Friend) which explained 72.6% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for Family and Friend subscales were 0.84 and 0.90, respectively. Stratified alpha for the scale was 0.90.

Conclusion: The prevalence of social isolation among the older diabetic patients was high. Also, the LSNS-6 was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for assessing social isolation in this study population. Assessment and management of social isolation should be incorporated into diabetes treatment plan for older diabetic patients.

The data obtained were analyzed by Factor Analysis. The data obtained from the research and marketing objectives of the Gapoktan in Simantri, Badung Regency, Bali Identification of the marketing objectives and marketed commodities, as a variable is the purpose of marketing of the commodity produced by Bali cattle breeding in the farmer group in Simantri. The regency and the object is the result of Bali cattle breeding in the gapoktan in Simantri Badung regency. The results showed that the marketing objectives of the produced by the Gapoktan in Simantri Badung regency were collectors, animal markets, government, other Gapoktan, farmers and other places. The most widely marketed commodity is solid fertilizer, the next is an expelled female Bali cattle, male Bali cattle seed, female Bali cattle seed and the least is a liquid fertilizer.

There is a problem when a relatively simple analysis is changed into a complex one just because some of the information is missing. Louis showed how to estimate the standard deviation of maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) for a parameter θ using the missing information. In the meantime, the resampling method is one of the best methods to calculate the standard deviation of sample estimates. In this article, we define and compare the standard deviation of a parameter θ using complete data, incomplete data, and the EM algorithm. As an illustration, we analyze a data from Rao and compare all methods for estimating variability.

Background: Malnutrition is the root causes of morbidity and mortality amongst pre-school and school going children in Bangladesh. In addition, malnutrition not only affects individuals but its effects are passed from generation to generation. Hence, the study aimed to investigate the latest nutritional status of under-five children and identify the risk factors of child malnutrition in Bangladesh using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey-2014 along with its distribution and composition.

Data and methodology: The data used for the present study has been derived from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS-2014). Sample of size 6965 has been used in this study extracted from 7886 kids’ record of BDHS-2014 with information on height and weight. Descriptive analysis has been performed to know the characteristics of the study subjects. Distribution of the z-scores is investigated, too. Then nutritional status has been clustered to gender, residence and division. And finally, binary logistic regression analysis has been used to identify influential factors that are significant to child malnutrition.

Results: It has been found that 12.20% of under-five children are severely stunted and 24.91% are moderately stunted. It has been also found that 3.19% of under-five children are severely wasted, 11.74% are moderately wasted, 8.34% are severely underweighted and 24.69% are moderately underweighted. The malnutrition status (stunted) does not differ significantly to gender (p-value=0.239), but does significantly differ to residence (pvalue<0.001) and to division (p-value<0.001). When adjusted to all the factors, children of age group 18-23 months are significantly and about 7 times more likely to be stunted than children of less than 6 months age (adjusted odds ratio, AOR= 6.72, 95% confidence interval (CI)=4.94, 9.14). It has been found that Female children are less likely to be stunted than male (AOR=0.89, 95% CI=0.80, 0.99). Birth interval less than 24 months is another correlates of child malnutrition (AOR=1.37, 95% CI=1.10, 1.70). Underweighted mothers are more likely to have stunted child. Children of educated parents are less likely to be stunted. Children of Sylhet division are most likely to be stunted. Children of rural areas are 16% less likely to be stunted than urban area (AOR=0.84, 95% CI=0.74, 0.96). Children of richest families are 60% less likely to be stunted than poorest group (AOR=0.40, 95% CI=0.32, 0.50). However, job of parents is not found to have significant association with nutritional status of under-five children in Bangladesh.

Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be said that increasing educational facilities for mothers and fathers can improve the child nutrition. Government and policymakers may take comprehensive and concrete challenge to overcome wealth inequities. Therefore, immediate actions are required to address all these issues to improve the nutritional status of children in Bangladesh.