Academic Article: Incidence of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in the United States

In this academic article, Incidence of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in the United States, the doctors did a survey to determine the rate of nonmelanoma skin cancer incidents in the United States.  The survey was stratified by male and female. It was also blocked by basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The article explains that age-adjusted incidence rates were graphed against the estimated annual UV-B exposure. This graph was plotted on a logarithmic scale, which created a high correlation and a positive slope. The doctors used this linear model to predict the effect of UV-B exposure on skin cancer incidence for male/female patients and basal/squamous cell carcinoma.  The linear model implied that caucasians living in areas with high UV-B exposure will be more likely to have nonmelanoma skin cancer. The image below shows that people with low pigment levels (0.0-2.7 LIM) are more like to have an incident of skin cancer, which supports what the linear model (described above) implied.

Statistics in Brief: 8 Things Runners Should Know About Coffee

8 Things Runners Should Know About Coffee, from Runner's World Magazine, uses results from statistical studies to support it's claim that coffee has health and performance benefits. Firstly, the article cites studies that proved that coffee improves performance, boosts your brain, and helps with post-exercise recovery. Then, it also cites studies to support facts that many people most likely didn't know, such as that it is possible to have too much coffee, coffee doesn't dehydrate you, and you don't have to swallow coffee for it to be beneficial. By stating that studies indicated these effects, it results in the readers trusting the article more. Therefore, the statistics bring a sense of legitimacy to the article that wouldn't be there if the article didn't say how they know that these statements are true.

 

Statistics Blooper: Binge Drinking and Suicide Rates Line Graph

This is a major statistical blooper from the Wellness Clinic at University of Illinois. Firstly, the vertical axis does not have an appropriate variable for a line graph. It doesn't make sense to create a line graph among different states that are just alphabetically ordered. Secondly, the graph is not adjusted for different population sizes. It may seem like a state has low binge drinking and suicide rates compared to other states, but in actuality, the rates are very high in comparison to the total population (if the population size is small). Therefore, this graph doesn't give an accurate depiction of the binge drinking and suicide rates based on population size. Thirdly, it would be very helpful for there to be a key describing which color line refers to binge drinking or deaths. This would help the viewer better understand the graph.

Infographic: The Plastics Breakdown

This infographic from the One World One Ocean Campaign displays the dangers that plastic presents to marine life. Combining statistics with pictures, the infographic is both mentally stimulating and emotionally stimulating. The facts presented describe plastic's effect on the environment, specifically its toxic chemicals, difficulty decomposing, and its enormous concentration in oceans and beaches. The infographic also talks about the detrimental effect that plastic has on marine life, which includes birds, marine mammals, and fish. These effects, which spread across the world, often result in death. The use of statistics makes the reader visualize and understand the seriousness of plastic in the ocean.

Statistics Video: The Best Stats You've Ever Seen

 

 In the TED talks video "The Best Stats You've Ever Seen," Hans Rosling discusses the importance of being able to visualize statistics in order to fully understand what they mean. He uses specific examples such as GDP, fertility rates, family income, and life expectancy in graphical displays for the statistics to be better understood. Rosling also emphasizes that statistics shouldn't be generalized. For example, he notes the variability in GDP per capita ($) and child survival rates (%) among African countries. It is unreasonable to assume that all countries within a given area are similar, and sometimes, only statistical displays like the ones that Rosling shows can help people visualize those differences. At the end of the video, Hans Rosling shows the linear relationship between GDP per capita and number of internet users within a countries. Rosling uses several different displays to prove that the way statistics are presented is just as important as the statistics themselves.

 

Exclusively Online Source: U.S. Childhood Obesity Rates Increase

In U.S. Childhood Obesity Rates Have Actually Increased Over the Past 14 Years, the writer bases his article on a study done by JAMA Pediatrics, which draws attention to an increase in childhood obesity in the U.S.. This study was done in response to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) claim that the childhood obesity rate had severely dropped from 2003 to 2011. However, when Dr. Skinner and her colleagues used the same data as the CDC from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, but extended the time range to 1999 to 2012, the study showed significantly different results than what the CDC saw. With over 27,000 children included in the study, Dr. Skinner saw that obesity rates had, in fact, increased from 1999 to 2012.

 

Statistically-Based Article: School Data Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines

This article, School Data Finds Patter of Inequality Along Racial Lines, highlights the unfair treatment of colored children in classroom environments. Using data from an analysis of over 97,000 public schools over 15 years, it shows that colored children receive harsher punishment and fewer opportunities. For example, the writer presents the proportion of students suspended who are colored in comparison to the proportion of all students who are colored. This comparison shows the tremendous difference in treatment of white students compared to colored students. The article also displays, using statistics, how much more likely colored children are to be taught by first-year teachers or teachers who have not reached teaching requirements. Along with that, the article shows that colored children are much less likely to have the opportunity to enroll in high-level classes (i.e. Biology, Calculus, Chemistry).