CHS 627: Multivariate Methods in Health Statistics
Choosing the Correct Statistical Test

 
 
Number
of
Dependent*
Variables
Number
of
Independent**
Variables
Type
of
Dependent
Variable(s)
Type
of
Independent
Variable(s)
  Measure
Test(s)
1
 0
(1 population)
continuous normal
not applicable 
(none)
 mean
one-sample t-test
 continuous non-normal
 median
one-sample median
 categorical
 proportions
 Chi Square goodness-of-fit, binomial test
 1
(2 independent populations)
normal
 2 categories
 mean
2 independent sample t-test
 non-normal
medians
 Mann Whitney,
Wilcoxon rank sum test
 categorical
 proportions
 Chi square test
Fisher's Exact test
0
(1 population measured twice)
or
1
(2 matched populations)
normal
 not applicable/
categorical
means
paired t-test 
 non-normal
 medians
Wilcoxon signed ranks test 
 categorical
 proportions
McNemar, Chi-square test
1
(3 or more populations)
normal
categorical
means
one-way ANOVA
non-normal
medians
Kruskal Wallis
categorical
proportions
Chi square test
2 or more
(e.g., 2-way ANOVA)
normal
categorical
means
Factorial ANOVA
non-normal
medians
Friedman test
categorical
proportions
log-linear, logistic regression
0
(1 population measured 
3 or more times)
normal
not applicable
means
Repeated measures ANOVA
1
normal
 continuous
correlation
simple linear regression
non-normal
 non-parametric correlation
categorical
categorical or continuous
logistic regression
continuous
discriminant analysis
 2 or more
 normal
continuous
multiple linear regression 
 non-normal
 
categorical
logistic regression
normal
mixed categorical and continuous
Analysis of Covariance
General Linear Models (regression)
 non-normal
  
categorical
logistic regression
2
2 or more
normal
categorical
MANOVA
2 or more
2 or more
normal
continuous
multivariate multiple linear regression
2 sets of 
2 or more
0
normal
not applicable
canonical correlation
2 or more
0
normal
not applicable
factor analysis
 
* outcome
** predictor


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Last modified December 1, 2000.
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