Most babies admitted to the NICU are premature (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy), have low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds), or have a medical condition that requires special care.
Independent variable. An independent variable is used in statistics to predict or explain a dependent variable. For example, Age and Gender might be used as independent variables to predict the age of death or life expectancy (dependent variables). In experimental designs, the independent variables are manipulated by the researcher (e.g., different dosages of a drug).
The independent variable is the variable that is different between the groups compared: all the members of one group will have the same level of the independent variable, a second group will have a different level of that same variable, and the same for a 3rd or 4th group, if present. is the independent variable and Y is the dependent variable-the outcome, and Z is the type of subjects represented. A simple example would be: The effects of tomatoes on risk of prostate cancer in Scandinavian men.