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 The median birth weight The proportion of birth weights below 3.5kg The number of birth weights below 3.5 kg

Answer 1

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

1. Dotplot - This would help to visualize individual birth weights and their distribution.
2. Histogram - This is particularly effective for showing the distribution of the continuous variable of birth weights.

A bar graph is not appropriate in this case, as it is typically used for categorical data rather than continuous data like birth weight.

For describing the variable birth weight, the following statistics can be used:

1. The mean birth weight - This provides an average that is very informative for understanding the typical birth weight in the sample.
2. The standard deviation of birth weight - This provides insight into the variability of the weights in the sample.
3. The median birth weight - This is another measure of central tendency that is useful, especially if the data is skewed.
4. The proportion of birth weights below 3.5 kg - This statistic gives an idea of how many newborns are below the NHS mean weight.
5. The number of birth weights below 3.5 kg - This is a count that complements the proportion and gives a clear idea of the sample distribution in relation to this threshold.

In summary, the selected graphs are dotplot and histogram, and all the listed statistics can be used to describe the variable birth weight.