In a Hospital, the following age group of children admitted affected by Influenza: 13, 13, 16, 17, 17, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22. Which of the following statements by the Nurse is correct?

1. A

   The Mode is 17.4 Years

2. B

   The mean is 17 Years

3. C

   The median is 17 Years.

4. D

   The median is 17.5 Years

Appeared in: GMCH - 2015

Explanation

• The median is the middle value of a dataset when it is arranged in ascending or descending order.
• The given dataset is: 13, 13, 16, 17, 17, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22.
• Since there is an even number of data points (10), the median is the average of the two middle values.
• The two middle values are the 5th and 6th terms, which are both 17.
• Therefore, the median is calculated as (17 + 17) / 2 = 17 years.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: This statement confuses the mode with the mean. The mode is the most frequently occurring value, which is 17. The value 17.4 is the calculated mean (average) of the dataset.
• Option B: This statement incorrectly identifies the mean. The actual mean is the sum of all ages (174) divided by the number of children (10), which equals 17.4 years, not 17.
• Option D: This value is incorrect. A median of 17.5 would only be possible if the two middle numbers were, for example, 17 and 18. In this dataset, both middle numbers are 17, making the average 17.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Calculation of measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) from a given dataset to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
• Nurses use basic statistics to interpret patient data, understand research articles, and participate in quality improvement projects. For instance, tracking the average (mean) or median length of stay for patients with influenza helps in resource planning.
• The median is often preferred over the mean when a dataset has outliers (extremely high or low values) because it provides a more accurate representation of the 'typical' value.
• What if? If the oldest child's age was 42 instead of 22, the mean would jump to 19.4 years, but the median would remain 17 years. This shows how the median is a more robust measure against extreme values.

How to Approach the Question

• First, recognize this is an analytical question that requires mathematical calculation based on a given set of numbers.
• Identify the three statistical measures mentioned in the options: Mean, Median, and Mode.
• Systematically calculate each measure for the dataset: 13, 13, 16, 17, 17, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22.
• Calculate the Mean: Sum all values and divide by the count of values (174 / 10 = 17.4).
• Calculate the Median: Since the count is even (10), sort the data and find the average of the two middle numbers (5th and 6th values are both 17, so (17+17)/2 = 17).
• Identify the Mode: Find the number that appears most frequently (17 appears 3 times).

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Calculation of measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) from a given dataset.
• Stem keywords: age group, children, admitted, Influenza, 13, 13, 16, 17, 17, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22
• Lead-in keywords: correct

Question ID

Q_C-pb48-txnDzn8FV-wYe

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 NursingResearch Polit 11e Part 1 p. 385-387

E6 NursingResearch Sukhpal Kaur p. 445-447