Interpreting data: boxplots and tables

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1.2.3 Activity 2.1

Simplifying the table further

Do you think it would make sense to continue this process of simplification by pooling more rows? If so, which rows would you pool?

Discussion

Comment

Since there were new cases, or deaths, and indeed usually both, in all the other age groups, the pooling of rows cannot be continued further without losing some information that was in the original table. But, in fact, there are very few cases in either gender group under the age of 40. So, if the corresponding rows are pooled, to give Table 2.4, very little information is lost (and, arguably, nothing at all important in relation to lung cancer). (You might have suggested a slightly different set of rows to pool.)

Table 2.4 South Australia: incidence and mortality for lung cancer, 1981

Age group Population size New cases Deaths
Male Female Male Female Male Female
0?39 427725 414937 1 2 2 0
40?44 35648 35547 2 5 3 3
45?49 32911 31799 8 2 10 2
50?54 36485 35333 38 8 26 8
55?59 35192 35555 61 18 43 8
60?64 28131 30868 67 16 57 15
65?69 24419 27390 88 15 69 17
70?74 16613 21402 60 21 61 21
75?79 9958 14546 46 10 46 9
80?84 4852 9749 24 6 23 4
85+ 2790 7477 7 2 8 3

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