**Core Concept:**
The question is asking about calculating the average number of malaria cases reported in a town over a period of 10 years. An epidemiologist would use an appropriate measure of average to summarize the data and provide a meaningful representation of the malaria cases. Average is a statistical measure that helps in summarizing a set of numbers into a single value.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right:**
The correct answer is **D. Mean**. The mean is a statistical measure that calculates the average of a set of numbers. In this case, the mean will be calculated by adding all the malaria case numbers and dividing by the total number of years (10). This provides a single value representing the overall average number of cases reported annually.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect:**
A. **Median:** The median is another measure of central tendency, but it is suitable for skewed data. In this case, the data is continuous (numerical) and not necessarily skewed, so the mean is more suitable.
B. **Mode:** The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a set of data. In this question, there is no specific number that appears more frequently, making the mode irrelevant for calculating the average.
C. **Sum:** While calculating the sum of the data will give the total number of cases (2330), this is not a single value representing the average number of cases reported annually. The sum is a total value and does not provide information about the frequency of cases.
**Clinical Pearl:**
Calculating the mean can be useful in epidemiological studies to summarize data and understand the overall pattern or trend of a set of numbers. In this case, the epidemiologist would use the mean to determine the average number of malaria cases reported annually in the town over the 10-year period.
**Correct Answer:**
D. Mean
Explanation:
1. Calculate the sum of the data: 2330
2. Divide the sum by the total number of years (10): 233/10 = 233.
3. The mean is 233 malaria cases per year. This value represents the average number of cases reported annually in the town over the 10-year period.
Free Medical MCQs Β· NEET PG Β· USMLE Β· AIIMS
Access thousands of free MCQs, ebooks and daily exams.
By signing in you agree to our Privacy Policy.