Assignment task:
NIH researchers recruited and enrolled 1,000 healthy participants from all across the United States starting on January 1, 2012. Only individuals between 18 and 78 years of age on January 1, 2012, were eligible to participate. All patients were free of cancer upon enrollment and had no history of prior cancer diagnosis. Study participants completed a baseline demographics questionnaire and a standardized set of questions regarding their regular dietary patterns. The exposure of interest in this study was a plant-based diet at baseline. National Planetary Diet Index scores were calculated. Researchers categorized participants into quintiles of the Planetary Diet Index score. For your analysis you compare the top scoring quintile with the lower four quintiles. (See Data Code Book.) Stool samples were also collected at baseline and analyzed for gut microbial diversity.
The outcome was mortality from cancer, recorded in the National Death Index, during study follow-up (between January 2, 2012, and December 31, 2021). The study closed on December 31, 2021. Given the outcome was cancer mortality, even participants lost to follow up, during the study period were found in the National Death Index.
You have been asked to conduct a descriptive analysis and evaluate if there is a decreased risk of cancer mortality among those who followed a plant-focused diet compared to those who did not, in this population-based cohort. Need Assignment Help?
Create a table with the cohort characteristics.
- Calculate the descriptive statistics for the cohort.
- Present the descriptive statistics in a "Table 1" format.
- Below your table, in a footnote, identify which variables you would describe as "incident."
- Round numbers in table to two decimal places.
- Should be ½ - 1 page
Additional Guidance:
- Title your table appropriately (include descriptive characteristics, number of participants, and time period)
- See this example of Table 1 format. Example 1. Example 1 is 3 pages. This is much longer than most Tables 1. We chose it because it is very comprehensive.
- Include the demographic, exposure, outcome, any other health information, lost to follow up, and person year variables in your table and paragraph
- Categorical variables: include the number and percent value for each category of the variable
- Continuous variable Age: provide both the mean, St. error or St. dev. and the range
- For person-years, include the total and standard error