Question

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess depression among 535 African American and Hispanic young males ages 14 to 27 attending a family planning clinic. The assessment indicated that 119 (22.2%) males met the criteria for depression. The study likewise examined the associations between depression, sociodemographic, and service requests. The study ultimately concluded that depressed males were more likely than nondepressed males to be Hispanic and to request services related to relationships, feelings, financial resources, physical issues, and well-being. The findings indicated that young males who are affected by depression have unmet needs, but when given an opportunity, can express those needs. Because family planning clinics are increasing the number of male clients, they are well positioned to screen them for depression.

• Describe the variables used in the analysis, along with the level of measurement (i.e., nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio) for each variable.
• Explain why the researchers used chi-square to analyze the data. In other words, how does the level at which each variable is measured determines which analysis is appropriate?
• Did the authors use a diverse group of participants (e.g., various ages, races, etc.) in their research?

Answer 1

1. The study assessed the following variables:

- Gender, ethnicity and depression, measured at the nominal level.

- Age and service requests, measured at the ratio level.

2. The Chi Square statistic is commonly used for testing relationships between categorical variables. It is the most appropriate statistical tool for this study because the variables of interest are measured at the nominal level.

3. It appears that the authors did not use a diverse sample for the study. They focused on participants from two ethnicities only, within a restricted age range. Furthermore, they only collected their data from a single family planning clinic.