Does Vitamin Intake Impact Weight Gain in Students?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Tyto alba
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Statistics
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the impact of vitamin intake on weight gain among students, specifically examining a nutritional study that compares weight changes in students taking vitamin supplements versus those on a normal diet. The conversation involves statistical analysis, hypothesis testing, and the interpretation of results.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant references the concept of the null hypothesis in inferential statistics, suggesting that the hypothesis should be that vitamins are responsible for weight gain, while the alternative hypothesis states they are not.
  • Another participant questions the accuracy of the problem statement regarding the number of students involved, noting a discrepancy in the total count of participants.
  • A different participant argues that the null hypothesis should state there is no effect observed, indicating a need to flip the original hypotheses presented.
  • Another contribution emphasizes that the question of whether vitamins are responsible for weight differences is poorly framed, asserting that statistical significance does not imply causation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express disagreement regarding the formulation of the null and alternative hypotheses, with multiple competing views on how to correctly interpret the statistical analysis and the implications of the results.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the problem statement, including potential errors in the number of students and the framing of hypotheses. The discussion highlights unresolved issues regarding the interpretation of statistical results and the distinction between correlation and causation.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in statistics, nutritional studies, and the interpretation of experimental results may find this discussion relevant.

Tyto alba
Messages
60
Reaction score
0
'In inferential statistics, the term "null hypothesis" is a general statement or default position that there is no relationship between two measured phenomena, or no association among groups.' (wiki)

The book I'm following has to say :

Q: In a nutritional study 13 students were given a usual diet with vitamin tablets and 12 set of other students were given only the normal diet. After 12 months their weights are measured as given below (a 2 x 13 table in which weight gains of the two set of students are mentioned) Can you say that vitamins were responsible for this difference?

A: Ho= Vitamins are responsible for this difference HA= just the ooposite, not responsible

The t-value turned out to be more the p-value and they rejected the Ho

P.S. I'm sure it isn't right because Vitamin rich diet does cause weight gain and given the concept of null hypothesis the Ho assumed in the excerpt should be wrong.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
SanjuktaGhosh said:
Q: In a nutritional study 13 students were given a usual diet with vitamin tablets and 12 set of other students were given only the normal diet. After 12 months their weights are measured as given below (a 2 x 13 table in which weight gains of the two set of students are mentioned)
Did you state this problem correctly? A 2x13 table has 26 entries, but you only mentioned 13+12 = 25 students.
 
The book's null hypothesis is rather wrong. You should flip the null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis statements. The default position for your null hypothesis should be that there is no effect observed.
 
SanjuktaGhosh said:
Can you say that vitamins were responsible for this difference?
The question is poorly expressed. Your null hypothesis should be that there is no (statistically significant) difference between the vitamin group and the non-vitamin group. If there is a difference (H0 rejected), it is a further conceptual step to say that the vitamins are "responsible" for it. Statistical correlation does not imply causal dependency.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad Does Vitamin Supplement Impact Birth Weight?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
5K
Comparing Weight Gain in Rats: An Analysis of Diets A & B
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
7K
Undergrad Progress In Calculating The HLbL Contribution To Muon g-2
  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
3K
Algebra 2 Topics for Not-So-Strong Math Students?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
33K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 257)
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
5K