Example of tables with categorical and associated variable summaries for Descriptive Statistics (Tables)

A medical researcher wants to study the effects of various factors on pulse rates. The researcher records the height, weight, gender, smoking preference, activity level, and resting pulse rate of 91 undergraduate students. The researcher then randomly divides the students into two groups. The first group runs in place for a minute while the other group stands still. Then, the researcher records the students' pulse rates again.

The researcher wants to summarize count statistics and pulse data for the students in the study, classified by gender and smoking status.

Open the sample data, PulseRates.MTW.
Choose Stat > Tables > Descriptive Statistics.
In For rows, enter Gender.
In For columns, enter Smokes.
Click Categorical Variables, and select Counts and Row percents.
Click OK.
Click Associated Variables, and enter Pulse1. Under Display, select Means.
Click OK in each dialog box.

Interpret the results

In each cell of the table, Minitab displays the mean pulse rate, the counts, and the row percents, classified by gender and smoking status.

Of the 56 males in the study, 19 are smokers, which is 33.93% of the males in the study. Their mean pulse rate is 72.42 beats per minute (bpm).

Rows: Gender Columns: Smokes

	No	Yes	All

F	74.59	84.50	76.86
	27	8	35
	77.14	22.86	100.00

M	70.00	72.42	70.82
	37	19	56
	66.07	33.93	100.00

All	71.94	76.00	73.14
	64	27	91
	70.33	29.67	100.00