FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION

Folic Acid Supplementation And Cognitive Function In Older Adults

Folic acid supplementation and cognitive function in older adults

1 a) The primary aim of the paper was to examine folic acid supplementation and cognitive function in older adults

The secondary aim of the paper is to examine whether 800 µg daily oral folic acid supplementation for 3 years improved cognitive performance compared with placebo in older adults. These aims were not clearly stated. The aims must be subdivided in to different points that eventually provide us the ultimate purpose of the paper.

1b) Quantitative study was used for this paper. Quantitative research is research involving the use of structured questions where the response options have been predetermined and a large number of respondents is involved. By definition, measurement must be objective, quantitative and statistically valid. Simply put, it's about numbers, objective hard data. (Smith , 1993)A scientifically calculated sample of people from a population is asked a set of questions on a survey to determine the frequency and percentage of their responses. Quantitative research design was appropriate in order to address the research aims of the paper.

The study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT). A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a type of scientific experiment most commonly used in testing the efficacy or effectiveness of healthcare services (such as medicine or nursing) or health technologies (such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices or surgery). RCTs are also employed in other research areas, such as judicial, educational, and social research. As their name suggests, RCTs involve the random allocation of different interventions (treatments or conditions) to subjects. As long as the numbers of subjects are sufficient, randomization is an effective method for balancing confounding factors between treatment groups. Randomised controlled trials are the most rigorous way of determining whether a cause-effect relation exists between treatment and outcome and for assessing the cost effectiveness of a treatment.

2.a) Performing power analysis and sample size estimation is an important aspect of experimental design, because without these calculations, sample size may be too high or too low. If sample size is too low, the experiment will lack the precision to provide reliable answers to the questions it is investigating. If sample size is too large, time and resources will be wasted, often for minimal gain. In some power analysis software programs, a number of graphical and analytical tools are available to enable precise evaluation of the factors affecting power and sample size in many of the most commonly encountered statistical analyses. This information can be crucial to the design of a study that is cost-effective and scientifically useful.

The sample size for a survey is calculated by statisticians using formulas to determine how large a sample size will be needed from a given population in order to achieve findings with an acceptable degree of accuracy. (Durga, 2007) in this situations in statistical analysis, we do not have access to an entire statistical population of interest, either because the population is too large, is not willing ...