The Use of Statistics in the American Journal of Health Education - A Content Analysis

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda

The study examines how knowledge of selected research designs and statistical techniques supports readers in understanding the statistical components of articles in the American Journal of Health Education. It analyzes 366 research and review articles across volumes 25–34 (1994–2003). Descriptive designs dominated (about 85%), with cross-sectional surveys rising and reviews declining. Key statistics included descriptive statistics, model validation, chi-square, ANOVA, t-test/z-test, Pearson correlation, and F-tests.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study overview and data source

Research designs and trends

Statistical methods reported

Conclusions and implications

The Use of Statistics in the American Journal of Health Education from 1994 through 2003: A Content Analysis Ray M. Merrill, Julianne Stoddard, andEric C. Shields ABSTRACT This study identifies the extent that knowledge of selected study designs and statistical techniques may assist readers in understanding the statistical component of articles in the American Journal of Health Education. The frequency of and trend in use of selected statistical research designs and statistical methods is reported, based on 366 research and review articles in volumes 25 to 34, covering 1994 to 2003, of the Journal. Almost 85% of the articles employed a descriptive study design. An increase in cross-sectional surveys that was offset by a decrease in review articles over the study period characterized almost all of the descriptive study designs. Analytic study designs were represented primarily by clinical trials and quasi-experiments. Their use did not significantly increase over the study period. Although descriptive statistics were present in more than 83% of the articles, many other articles relied on statistics beyond the descriptive statistics, such as statistics associated with model validation (33.1%), the chi-square test (25.4%), analysis of variance (ANOVA; 17.2%), t-test/z-test (16.9%), the Pearson correlation coefficient (15.3%), and the F-test (13.1%). Beyond these no other statistical methods stand out from the rest as being favored among the authors of the Journal. Epidemiologic statistical methods were less frequently used. The estimated annual percentage change in the percentage of studies not employing statistical methods was –12.71 (95% confidence interval: –23.23,–0.76). A significant increase in use was observed for measures of central tendency/dispersion, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and the use of validity/reliability statistics for instrument validation. Health educators strive to promote the health and well-being of populations by identifying needs for health education, planning and implementing health education programs, and acting as health resources for communities. The ability to access the scientific literature is vital for health educators to accomplish the responsibilities and competencies established by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC, 2004) . However, the extent that knowledge of research designs and statistical methods is required to effectively read selected health education journals is not fully appreciated. Studies have previously assessed the use of study designs and statistical methods in medical and health-related journals. These studies have involved biomedical journals (Pilcik, 2003); general medical journals (Colditz & Emerson, 1985; Emerson & Colditz, 1983; Wang & Zhang, 1998); rheumatology and internal medicine journals (Cardiel & Goldsmith, 1995); psychiatric journals (Miettunen, Nieminen, & Isohanni, 2002); the Journal of Family Practice (Fromm & Snyder, 1986); ophthalmic journals (Juzych, Shin, Seyedsadr, Siengner,& Juzych, 1992); the rehabilitation literature (Schwartz, Sturr, & Goldberg, 1997); radiology journals (Elster, 1994); public health journals (Levy & Stolte, 2000); and surgical journals (Reznick, Dawson-Saunders, & Folse, 1987) . However, as far as we are aware no study has assessed the use of study designs and statistical methods in the health education literature. This study identified the extent that knowledge of selected study designs and elementary statistical techniques may assist readers in understanding the statistical component of articles in the American Journal of Health Education. Ray M. Merrill, PhD, MPH, MS; Julianne Stoddard; and Eric C. Shields are with the Department of Health Science at Brigham Young University, 229-A Richards Building, Provo, Utah 84602; [E-mail: Ray_Merrill@byu.edu](E-mail: Ray_Merrill@byu.edu). 290 American Journal of Health Education—September/October 2004, Volume 35, No. 5 Ray M. M

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this content analysis?

It measures how often selected study designs and statistical techniques appear in American Journal of Health Education articles and evaluates how this knowledge helps readers interpret the journals’ statistical content.

Which study design type was most commonly used in the analyzed articles?

About 85% of the articles used a descriptive study design, with patterns such as increased cross-sectional surveys and decreased review articles over time.

What statistical methods were frequently reported beyond descriptive statistics?

Commonly reported methods included statistics for model validation, chi-square tests, ANOVA, t-test/z-test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and F-tests, while epidemiologic statistical methods were used less frequently.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda