This document outlines the purpose of a linear regression analysis using birth data to determine if the number of prenatal visits is associated with infant birth weight when controlling for tobacco use. The variables being analyzed - number of prenatal visits, birth weight, and tobacco use - are all continuous, making them suitable for linear regression. The hypothesis being tested is that when average tobacco use is controlled for, the number of prenatal visits is not statistically associated with birth weight. After completing this analysis and another using a different dataset, students will take a quiz on linear regression and submit the output of both analyses in a single Word document.
1. Birth - Linear Regression
Purpose
The purpose of this week’s lab using the birth data is to determine if the number of
prenatal visits (PRENATTV) is associated with the infant’s birth weight, as measured in
grams (BIR_WTGR) when controlling for tobacco use, which we will measure using the
variable TOB_AVG. All of these variables are continuous and therefore appropriate for
use in a linear regression. Because we learned from the previous findings in the logistic
regression lab that tobacco use significantly increases the odds of having a low birth
weight baby, we are controlling for this variable.
Ho: When average tobacco use is controlled, the number of prenatal visits a pregnant
woman attends is not statistically associated with the infant’s birth weight.
After completing this lab and the lab using the parc dataset, you will take the Linear
Regression Quiz located in the “course unit” folder labeled “Unit 4: Linear Regression.”
You will also submit the output for both outputs in 1 Word document with the Parc lab
output and birth lab output. To copy, just select your output and right-click and choose
“export.” Make sure the file extension is to be in Word and choose a name for your file.
Open your word document and label the outputs according to what dataset they refer to
and delete any unnecessary tables. Upload the assignment to the appropriate area in
the folder.