Scientific paper summaries
Statistical test
Statistical tool: two-sample t-test
Citation: Collins, T., Lunos, S., Carlson, T., Henderson, K., Lightbourne, M., Nelson, B. & Hodges, J (2011). Effects of a Home-Based Walking Intervention on Mobility and Quality of Life in People with Diabetes and Peripheral Arterial Disease. Diabetes Care. 2011 October; 34(10): 2174–2179. doi: 10.2337/dc10-2399, 7(2):1-7.
Summary: This study examines the efficacy of a home based walking intervention to improve walking ability of life living with diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (Collins et al. 2011).
Use of technique: There was use of two-sample t-test and Fisher’s exact tests to compare intervention and control groups in relation to the baseline characteristics. The Fisher’s exact tests for categorical variables were used whereby p values less than 0.05 were considered less significant. There was comparison of the treatment groups through the consideration of change from baseline to the average of 3 to 6 months. 64 patients per arm yielded 80% power to determine the standardized effect size reaching 0.50 (Collins et al. 2011).
Specific hypothesis (null): There is no correlation between home-based walking intervention and an attention-control group.
Outcome: The secondary outcomes show that the average walking speed score for the intervention increase by 5.7 units while that of control groups decreased by 1.9 units (p = 0.03). Collins et al asserts the Intervention and control groups did not differ significantly in 6-month change in maximal treadmill walking distance (average [SE] 24.5 [19.6] meters vs. 39.2 [19.6] meters; P = 0.60) (Collins et al. 2011).
Critique: Over 90% of the individuals acting as the control groups served as contamination to the results because they had the desire of walking. This means that the study was bias because of favoring the interventions groups. The researchers could have considered convincing the control groups that they should get contented with their state since they had equal opportunities to others.
