Graph Use in Statistics
Sabrina Lebron
December 2, 2010
Professor Ann Impens
Week 1 Assignment
Sabrina Lebron
December 2, 2010
Professor Ann Impens
Week 1 Assignment
The chart of graph selected comes from the US Centers for Disease Control and Preventions MMWR in the article, "Heat Illness Among High School Athletes --- United States, 2005--2009"
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5932a1.htm?s_cid=mm5932a1_w
Identify the type of chart or graph and what this type of chart or graph usually depicts.
At the bottom of the article, there is a verticle bar chart of the Number of time-loss heat illnesses among high school athletes, by month. verticle bar charts usually depict the number of events or occurrences by group (in this case the number of time-loss heat illnesses by month). Sometimes bar charts are also used to depict percentages by groups as well.
Why was this graph chosen to display this data?
The graph shows a striking spike in the number of heat illnesses in the Month of August -- one of the warmer months and first months in which football training occurs. It speaks to one of the main points of the article -- that heat illnesses occur most frequently when athletes have not yet had a chance to become acclimated to the heat.
What other types of graphs could have been used? Why?
A horizontal bar chart could have been used as this is the same chart as the one presented only the axes are interchanged. In addition a line graph could have represented the same information to show the trends in illnesses over time.
Is the scope and scale of the graph appropriate? Why or why not?
Yes, the scope and scale of the graph are appropriate. The x-axis of the chart shows all the available months of the study, with the exception of 17 cases in which there was missing data, but this is noted in the title above the graph. Since the graph consists of counts, the y-axis is appropriately shown from 0 to 70, just under the maximum number of cases in any
December 2, 2010
Professor Ann Impens
Week 1 Assignment
Sabrina Lebron
December 2, 2010
Professor Ann Impens
Week 1 Assignment
The chart of graph selected comes from the US Centers for Disease Control and Preventions MMWR in the article, "Heat Illness Among High School Athletes --- United States, 2005--2009"
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5932a1.htm?s_cid=mm5932a1_w
Identify the type of chart or graph and what this type of chart or graph usually depicts.
At the bottom of the article, there is a verticle bar chart of the Number of time-loss heat illnesses among high school athletes, by month. verticle bar charts usually depict the number of events or occurrences by group (in this case the number of time-loss heat illnesses by month). Sometimes bar charts are also used to depict percentages by groups as well.
Why was this graph chosen to display this data?
The graph shows a striking spike in the number of heat illnesses in the Month of August -- one of the warmer months and first months in which football training occurs. It speaks to one of the main points of the article -- that heat illnesses occur most frequently when athletes have not yet had a chance to become acclimated to the heat.
What other types of graphs could have been used? Why?
A horizontal bar chart could have been used as this is the same chart as the one presented only the axes are interchanged. In addition a line graph could have represented the same information to show the trends in illnesses over time.
Is the scope and scale of the graph appropriate? Why or why not?
Yes, the scope and scale of the graph are appropriate. The x-axis of the chart shows all the available months of the study, with the exception of 17 cases in which there was missing data, but this is noted in the title above the graph. Since the graph consists of counts, the y-axis is appropriately shown from 0 to 70, just under the maximum number of cases in any