The standard deviation of fasting blood glucose values in a sample of 100 adults is 18 mg/dL. What does the quantity 18 divided by the square root of 100 represent?
- A The variance of the sample
- B The standard error of the mean ✓
- C The coefficient of variation
- D The 95% confidence interval width
Correct answer: B. The standard error of the mean
Explanation
The standard error of the mean equals the standard deviation divided by the square root of the sample size, here 18 divided by 10, giving 1.8 mg/dL. It quantifies the precision of the sample mean as an estimate of the population mean and shrinks as sample size grows. Variance is the square of the standard deviation, and the coefficient of variation expresses the standard deviation as a percentage of the mean.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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