How To Use Data-Data Analysis

Once evaluators have collected the data, they must compile and analyze the information collected in order to interpret the findings. Basically, the analysis determines whether the outcome was different from what was expected. The data must be cleaned, reduced, coded, and pulled into a usable form. Information from surveys and observation sheets, for example, must be coded and entered into the computer to be compiled and analyzed.

Statistical analysis techniques can be used to describe data, generate hypotheses, or test hypotheses. Techniques that summarize and describe characteristics or a group or make comparisons between groups are know as descriptive statistics.

Three types of statistical analyses are as follows:

  1. Univariate- when one variable is analyzed
  2. Bivariate- analysis of two variables
  3. Multivariate- analysis of three or more variables

The following are examples of Evaluation Questions Answered Using Univariate, Bivariate, and Multivariate Analysis:

Univariate Analysis
Bivariate Analysis
Multivariate Analysis
What was the average scoreon the cholesterol knowledgetest?   Is there a difference in smoking behavior between the Individuals in the experimental and control groups after the healthy lifestyle program?  Can the risk of heart disease be predicted using smoking, exercise, diet, and heredity?  
How many participants at theworksite attended the healthylifestyle presentation?  Is peer education or classroom instruction more effective in increasing knowledge about the effects of drug abuse?  Can mortality risk among motorcycle drivers be predicted from helmet use, time of day, weather conditions, and speed? 
What percentage of the participants in the corporate fitness program met their goal?  Do students' attitudes about bicycle helmets differ in rural and urban settings?    

 

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See also > Center for Health Promotion > Health Promotion and Chronic Disease