Data-4-Action Project informs local decision-making
Power and sample size computation is one key aspect of a study design. For a well designed study, it is important to decide how many subjects to enroll at the start of the study. The reasons for a careful considerations for the sample size are multiple. Testing too few subjects might lead to failure to detect an important effect and wasteful if the study is unable to draw conclusion about the scientific question of interest. On the other hand, testing too many subjects may be wasteful as that will lead to unnecessary cost. In some case it may lead to detecting a statistically significant yet practically insignificant effect.
When Matthew Ferrari, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences Career Development Professor and associate professor of biology designed the studies to investigate COVID-19 infection rate at Penn State and the impact of students' returning to the campus, he had consulted with Mozuk Chow on the power and sample size computation of the project.
One starting point of the project is the Centre County COVID-19 Data 4 Action Project (Data 4 Action) which conducts an anonymous survey to document how the pandemic is impacting Centre County residents’ lives and their experiences as they return to work and school. A second survey for both students returning to campus and residents will track the changing impact over time.
And, participants may be invited to participate in a follow-up multi-year study designed to collect additional data, including virus and antibody testing. This information will help local leaders to stay more informed while making public health policy decisions as the pandemic continues to evolve. The voluntary biological survey will involve testing both before and after the University resumed operations. The researchers would like to document social and economic impacts alongside biological data to provide guidance to the community leaders. Without an effort like this one, decision makers are forced to make very important decisions about public health and safety in the dark.
The pandemic has had huge impact on the life of all. In the United States, the COVID-19 infection rate varies a lot from region to region. The project aims to bring local data to the table to inform local leaders for decision making.
Mosuk Chow is a Research Professor of Statistics. Her areas of research interest include biostatistics, statistical decision theory and sampling methods.