Question
Book Name : Beyond Multiple Linear Regression Page No : 33 Question: Sitting and MTL thickness . @Siddarth2018 researched relations between time spent sitting (sedentary
Book Name: Beyond Multiple Linear Regression
Page No: 33
Question: Sitting and MTL thickness. @Siddarth2018 researched relations between time spent sitting (sedentary behavior) and the thickness of a participants medial temporal lobe (MTL) in a 2018 paper entitled, Sedentary behavior associated with reduced medial temporal lobe thickness in middle-aged and older adults. MTL volume is negatively associated with Alzheimers disease and memory impairment. Their data on 35 adults can be found in sitting.csv. Key variables include:
- MTL = Medial temporal lobe thickness in mm
- sitting = Reported hours/day spent sitting
- MET = Reported metabolic equivalent unit minutes per week
- age = Age in years
- sex = Sex (M = Male, F = Female)
education = Years of education completed
- In their articles introduction, Siddarth et al. differentiate their analysis on sedentary behavior from an analysis on active behavior by citing evidence supporting the claim that, one can be highly active yet still be sedentary for most of the day. Fit your own linear model with MET and sitting as your explanatory and response variables, respectively. Using R2, how much of the variability in hours/day spent sitting can be explained by MET minutes per week? Does this support the claim that sedentary behaviors may be independent from physical activity?
- In the papers section, Statistical analysis, the authors report that, Due to the skewed distribution of physical activity levels, we used log-transformed values in all analyses using continuous physical activity measures. Generate both a histogram of MET values and logtransformed MET values. Do you agree with the papers decision to use a log-transformation here?
- Fit a model with MTL as the response and sitting as the sole explanatory variable. Are the linear regression conditions satisfied? (give reasons)
- One model fit in @Siddarth2018 includes sitting, logtransformed MET, and age as explanatory variables. Fit this model and get parameter estimates and SEs.
- Based on your results from the previous part, do you support the papers claim that, it is possible that sedentary behavior is a more significant predictor of brain structure, specifically MTL thickness [than physical activity]? Why or why not?
f. A New York Times article was published discussing @Siddarth2018 with the title Standing Up at Your Desk Could Make You Smarter [@Friedman2018]. Do you agree with this headline choice? Why or why not?
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