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Prevalence Stuies
2/18/2018
How big a sample do I require for
prevalence studies?
• Aim of sample size calculation is to
determine an adequate sample size to
estimate the population prevalence with
good precision.
• Need to decide which appropriate values
of parameters will be used in the formula.
95% CI of rare diseases (P =< 0.05) and common diseases (P => 0.95) with a precision
(d) set at 0.05
2/18/2018 Asri Adisasmita
Practical Issues in Determining Sample
Size Parameters
• Estimating P
– May get several P from previous studies in the
literature preferably P from studies with similar
study design and study population from the most
recent studies.
– If the range is between 20% - 30% use 30%; but if
between 60% - 80% use 60%. This will give us a
larger sample size. If the range is 40% - 60% use
50% (will give larger sample size)
– If there was doubt in P best to use P=50% will
give the largest sample size if the prevalence is
between 10% - 90% (Figure below).
2/18/2018
Cluster or Multistage Sampling
• The above sample size are valid only if
using simple random or systematic
random sampling methods.
• Cluster or multistage sampling methods
require a larger sample size to achieve the
same precision. has to be multiplied by
the design effect – deff (in immunization,
the deff=2.
2/18/2018
“The larger the sample size the better
the study”
• That is not always true.
• The aim for sample size calculation is not to
obtain the biggest sample size ever. But, to get
an optimum or adequate sample size.
• Too large a sample size is not cost-effective,
could be unethical in drug trials, a very large
sample would lead to a conclusion that the new
drug is significantly better than the old drug in
statistical sense, although the difference is
clinically insignificant.
• Look at table below.
2/18/2018
“The larger the sample size the better
the study”
2/18/2018
Other Objectives of the Study
• Many studies have more than 1 objectives
recommended to calculate for sample
size required for other objectives. The
biggest sample size should than be taken
as the sample that would accommodate all
study objectives.
2/18/2018
Anticipating Non-Response or Missing
Data
• The calculated sample size above is
assuming that there is no problem with
non-response or missing values.
• If non-response or missing data occurs
will not achieve the desired precision.
• Need to over-sample by 10% to 20% of
the calculated required sample size
2/18/2018