J Surg Res. 2008 Jan;144(1):158-70. Epub 2007 Oct 22.

Analysis of variance: is there a difference in means and what does it mean?

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Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA. Lillian.S.Kao@uth.tmc.edu

Abstract

To critically evaluate the literature and to design valid studies, surgeons require an understanding of basic statistics. Despite the increasing complexity of reported statistical analyses in surgical journals and the decreasing use of inappropriate statistical methods, errors such as in the comparison of multiple groups still persist. This review introduces the statistical issues relating to multiple comparisons, describes the theoretical basis behind analysis of variance (ANOVA), discusses the essential differences between ANOVA and multiple t-tests, and provides an example of the computations and computer programming used in performing ANOVA.

PMID:: 17936790; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:: PMC2405942

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