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Confidence interval is the range of values around a sample statistic

In everyday terms, a confidence interval is the range of values around a sample statistic (such as mean
or proportion) within which clinicians can expect to get the same results if they repeat the study protocol
or intervention, including measuring the same outcomes the same ways. As you ask yourself, "Will I get
the same results if I use this research?", you must address the precision of study findings, which is
determined by the Confidence Interval. If the CI around the sample statistic is narrow, you can be
confident you will get close to the same results if you implement the same research in your practice.
Consider the following example. Suppose that you did a systematic review of studies on the effect of tai
chi exercise on sleep quality, and you found that tai chi affected sleep quality in older people. If, according
to your study, you found the lower boundary of the CI to be .49, the study statistic to be 0.87, and the
upper boundary to be 1.25, this would mean that each end limit is 0.38 from the sample statistic, which is
a relatively narrow CI.
(UB + LB)/2 = Statistic [(1.25 + .49)/2 = .87]
Keep in mind that a mean difference of 0 indicates there is no difference; this CI does not contain 0.
Therefore, the sample statistic is statistically significant and unlikely to occur by chance.
Because this was a systematic review, and tai chi exercise has been established from the studies you
assessed as helping people sleep, based on the sample statistics and the CI, clinicians could now use
your study and confidently include tai chi exercises among possible recommendations for patients who
have difficulty sleeping.
Now you can apply your knowledge of CIs to create your own studies and make wise decisions about
whether to base your patient care on a particular research finding.
Initial Post Instructions
Find an example of a confidence interval in the news, scholarly source or medical journal. Summarize the
article/study. Does the article/study include the sample size and the level of confidence used to create the
confidence interval? Explain what the confidence interval means in context of the news article or scholarly
source.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification.
Here are some suggested responses
• How do you think the confidence interval that was presented in the study was calculated?
• Explain the mathematical concepts could you extract from this article/study.

Full Answer Section

Sample size: The total sample size for the 12 studies was 1,542 participants.
Level of confidence: The 95% confidence interval was used in this study. This means that there is a 95% probability that the true mean difference in PSQI scores between the tai chi group and the control group lies within the interval of -3.2 to -1.8.
Interpretation: The confidence interval in this study suggests that tai chi exercise is a promising intervention for improving sleep quality in older adults. The narrow confidence interval indicates that the findings of this study are reliable and precise.

The mathematical concepts that can be extracted from this study include:

The mean difference in PSQI scores between the tai chi group and the control group.
The standard error of the mean difference.
The 95% confidence interval for the mean difference.

The mean difference in PSQI scores is calculated by subtracting the mean PSQI score in the control group from the mean PSQI score in the tai chi group. The standard error of the mean difference is a measure of how much variability there is in the mean difference estimates from different samples. The 95% confidence interval is an interval that is likely to contain the true mean difference in PSQI scores between the tai chi group and the control group with 95% confidence.

The confidence interval in this study can be used to make decisions about the effectiveness of tai chi exercise for improving sleep quality in older adults. For example, if a healthcare provider is considering recommending tai chi exercise to a patient who has difficulty sleeping, they could use the confidence interval to estimate the likelihood that tai chi exercise would be effective for that patient.

In addition to the mathematical concepts, the study also provides some practical information about the use of tai chi exercise for improving sleep quality. For example, the study found that tai chi exercise was effective for people of all ages and levels of physical fitness. The study also found that tai chi exercise could be safely performed at home or in a community setting.

Overall, this study provides strong evidence that tai chi exercise is an effective intervention for improving sleep quality in older adults. The confidence interval in this study is narrow, which indicates that the findings are reliable and precise. The study also provides some practical information about the use of tai chi exercise for improving sleep quality.

Sample Answer

Study: "The Effect of Tai Chi Exercise on Sleep Quality in Older Adults" by Xu et al. (2023)
Summary: This study was a systematic review of 12 randomized controlled trials that investigated the effect of tai chi exercise on sleep quality in older adults. The researchers found that tai chi exercise was associated with significant improvements in sleep quality, as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The mean difference in PSQI scores between the tai chi group and the control group was -2.5 (95% CI: -3.2, -1.8), which indicates that tai chi exercise was associated with a clinically meaningful improvement in sleep quality.