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Teaching Statistics Using Stata Software

Teaching Statistics Using Stata Software. Susan Hailpern BSN MPH MS Department of Epidemiology and Population Health Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, New York. Albert Einstein College of Medicine Clinical Research Training Program.

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Teaching Statistics Using Stata Software

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  1. Teaching Statistics Using Stata Software Susan Hailpern BSN MPH MS Department of Epidemiology and Population Health Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, New York

  2. Albert Einstein College of Medicine Clinical Research Training Program • Clinical Research Training program (CRTP) began in 1998 • Program funded by the NIH under Clinical Research Curriculum Award Program

  3. Program Components • CRTP is a 2 year program consisting of two complementary components: • Didactic curriculum with emphasis on epidemiology, biostatistics, study design, computer methods, and research ethics • Mentored experience in clinical research leading to masters thesis

  4. Program Description: • Program provides future investigators (physicians) with basic and applied knowledge in core disciplines of clinical investigation: • Biostatistics • Epidemiology • Students learn how to • design clinical research studies • ensure that high ethical standards are met • organize study team • apply and obtain funding • collect, manage and analyze data • report results

  5. Statistical Software • SPSS • SPSS has been used since the start of CRTP • Pull-down menus were thought to be easy to use and learn • Students were easily successful in using SPSS software and obtaining statistical results • As students progressed in statistical analyses and clinical research, SPSS was found to be too limited in scope • Alternative software was sought

  6. Statistical Software • STATA (and Stat/Transfer v.7) • Stata was taught in the CRTP for first time in Summer ‘04 using Version 8 • Stata was chosen because • It has an excellent reputation • It is easy to use • Addition of new pull-down menus (version 8) was attractive feature and was thought to make learning software easier for students

  7. Statistical Software • STATA (continued) • It has substantially wider range of procedures and options than SPSS • Multinomial and ordinal logistic regressions • Frailty models for multivariate survival analysis (semi-parametric and parametric) • Immediate commands

  8. Teaching Stata • Interesting challenge: instructors teaching statistics with Stata come from very different backgrounds • Senior instructor has had extensive experience using SPSS and is a relative newcomer to Stata. • Other instructor has had extensive experience using Stata, but with expertise in writing Stata programs (unfamiliar with using “pull-down” menus in version 8).

  9. Teaching Stata • Students were asked to install software prior to first class • All students used Windows 98, 2000, or XP • All had some computer experience • Brief introduction to the software was distributed prior to first class • Description of the windows • Variable storage types • Most importantly: how to get Help!

  10. Teaching Stata: First Class • Stata Structure • Windows: Data Editor, Results, Review, Variables, Command, Viewer • Menus and Syntax • Course was taught primarily using pull-down menus • Data File • Data structure: Files, Variables, Subjects • Variable Elements: Name, Type, Format, Label, Values (labels), Missing • Descriptive Statistics

  11. Teaching Stata: Second Class • Modifying Variables and Subsets and Conditions • Creating new variables using: gen and replace • Functions • Recoding recode, gen, encode, decode • if , in, sort, drop, keep, save • Comparison of means and medians: one and two sample • Comparing means and medians for >2 groups: oneway anova and Kruskal-Wallis • Comparing categorical data 2x2, 2x k tables, ordered categories, RR and OR

  12. Teaching Stata • Additional weekly lab session was added • Review • Learn additional nice features of Stata • Immediate commands • Date functions • Do file • Graphing

  13. Teaching Stata: Third Class • File handling: • use, clear, importing files • merge • update • append • collapse, reshape • Correlation & Linear Regression

  14. Teaching Stata: Fourth Class • Multivariate Analyses: • Multiple Linear Regression • Two-way Anova • Interpreting the outputs

  15. Teaching Stata: Fifth Class • Statistical power and sample size using NCSS/PASS software • Review

  16. Success • Stata statistical software was easy to teach • At the end of 6 week summer session students were successful in learning and using Stata

  17. Failures • None!

  18. Recommendations for Next Year • Use Stata for power and sample size calculations • Continue to teach Stata software • This was a terrific success!

  19. Interesting Problems • Largest problem encountered was communicating with mentors and statisticians unfamiliar with Stata

  20. Student Wishes and Grumbles • THE BIG GRUMBLE • Windows do not “hang together” • Windows were all over the screen • Windows sometimes got “lost”

  21. Student Wishes and Grumbles • Wishes - Students would like • “Un-do” button • Ability to order variables as desired, and then return to original ordering • Description of statistical tests • As in SPSS where placing the cursor over the test will give a brief description of the statistical test • Data window to remain “open” while running commands (as in SPSS)

  22. Any Questions?

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