Abstract

SANTOS CURADO, Mª Alice; VITORINO TELES, Júlia Maria  and  MAROCO, João. Statistical analysis of ordinal scales: Field applications of Pediatrics and Child Health. Enferm. glob. [online]. 2013, vol.12, n.30, pp.434-445. ISSN 1695-6141.

Research in different areas of knowledge involves a large number of variables that can be evaluated with mono-variable and multi-variable techniques and parametric or nonparametric tests. The researcher decision depends on the validation of the assumptions inherent in each, the type of variables and sample sizes. We began with a systematic literature review, which included scientific articles that had as an instrument of data collection, a range of assessment/psychometrics in the health of children and youth. After the inclusion criteria were defined, 189 papers were selected and 127 articles were used for the exploratory analysis of research methodologies. The exploratory data analysis allowed us to identify the type of statistical techniques used by investigators when the instruments are composed of ordinal variables and analyze whether they met the assumptions inherent in the use of statistical techniques with this type of variables with small and large samples.

Keywords : scales; sample; statistical analysis; child health; pediatrics.

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