Question

Summary 1.3 A study is planned to compare the effect of lowering blood pressure of two medications pre- scribed (drug A and drug B) in patients with elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) only. A isanewly developed medication lowering elevated SBP and drug B is a commonly prescribed medication for high level of SBP currently. 80 newly diagnosed patients with high level SBP only are planned to be recruited into the study with half of them randomly assigned to drug A and another half to drug B for three months. Each participant's blood pressure will be monitored during the study, but the change in SBP (mmHg) will be recorded as the difference between SBP measured at the end of the study and SBP measured at entry of the study. a) What is the type of the study? b) How many factors are involved in this study? What are they? c) What are the measurement scales for these factors?

Answer 1

a) The ratio scale of measurement is used for the given factors. We consider the real absolute zero while measuring the systolic blood pressure and therefore we use ratio scale for measuring the systolic blood pressure.

b) This is experimental study design. In this study design, investigators do not only observe the subjects and outputs, but assign treatments to the subjects by using proper layout. In the experimental design investigator control the assignment of  treatments on subjects used for the given experiment.

c) There are two factors involved in this research study. First factor is the newly developed medication lowering elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) [by using drug A] and second factor for this study is given as commonly prescribed medication for high level of SBP [by using drug B].