I'm working on evaluating a pediatric randomized study. Our assignment was finding a topic from a nursing journal that obtains to maternal/child nursing, that contains a controlled, randomized study. I found several that contain simpler data, but I really liked the ideas behind the study on therapeutic play, because it speaks a lot to how we handle children as nurses.
Anyway, the data is not set up by percentages, but rather by Mean, SD, t-values, and p-values. I haven't ever taken a statistics class, so I don't really know the clinical significance of the final published results.
For example:
Childrens preoperative state
Experimental
Mean: 34.36
SD: 8.08
Control
Mean: 38.60
SD: 8.52
T-value: 3.6
P-value: .001
If anyone can give me some insight into how to better interpret the data, it'd be really appreciated. I found a couple sites that talked about t-test values, but still couldn't understand how to apply that to the results here.
The basic thing, without reading the paper (why don't you attach it to your post so we can help you more) is generally that a p,0.001 means there was a statistically significant change between the group that had the intervention and the one that didn't, or in the before and after the intervention. I'd say it sounds like the play therapy made a statistically significant difference to the kids. Overall, that just means it is likely that the intervention is the reason for the change, and that it's not some random occurrence.
Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
Hope the mods don't see this as advertising, as I have no vested interest in this book. "Real World Research" by Colin Robson was my bible during my two degrees and is an invaluable resource to anybody conducting or interpreting research.
ghillbert, MSN, NP
3,796 Posts
The basic thing, without reading the paper (why don't you attach it to your post so we can help you more) is generally that a p,0.001 means there was a statistically significant change between the group that had the intervention and the one that didn't, or in the before and after the intervention. I'd say it sounds like the play therapy made a statistically significant difference to the kids. Overall, that just means it is likely that the intervention is the reason for the change, and that it's not some random occurrence.