According to the National Health Service (NHS), which provides healthcare for all UK citizens based on their need for healthcare rather than their ability to pay for it, the normal weight of a full-term baby is 2.7 to 4.1 kg, with a mean weight of 3.5 kg. A researcher concerned about the effect of poverty on birth weight is conducting a study to see whether the mean weight of newborns born in the borough of Hackney (population 273,500)which has one of the highest poverty rates in London, is significantly different from the mean reported by the NHS. The researcher obtains a random sample of 100 full-term babies born to mothers residing in Hackney in 2017 from hospital records. The birth weight of these 100 babies was recorded Select the graph types) that could be used to visualize the variable birth weightSelect all that apply Dotplot Histogram Bar graph Select the statistic (s) that can be used to describe the variable birth weight Select all that apply . The mean birth weight The standard deviation of birth weight

1 answer

To visualize the variable birth weight of the 100 babies, the following graph types could be used:

  1. Dotplot - This is effective for displaying individual data points and can show the distribution of birth weights clearly, especially since the sample size is manageable (100).
  2. Histogram - This is a good option for visualizing the distribution of birth weights in terms of frequency in different weight ranges. It allows for easier identification of patterns in the data.
  3. Bar graph - This is generally used for categorical data, not continuous data like birth weight. Therefore, a bar graph would not be appropriate for this specific variable.

So, the suitable graph types are:

  • Dotplot
  • Histogram

Regarding the statistics that can be used to describe the variable birth weight:

  1. The mean birth weight - This statistic provides an average weight of the sample and is appropriate for continuous data like birth weight.
  2. The standard deviation of birth weight - This statistic measures the amount of variation or dispersion in the birth weights, which is also suitable for continuous data.

Both the mean and the standard deviation can be used to describe the variable birth weight.

Thus, the statistics that apply are:

  • The mean birth weight
  • The standard deviation of birth weight