Individual Assignment 2
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
University of Washington *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
MISC
Subject
Medicine
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
8
Uploaded by HighnessMousePerson924
Individual Assignment 2
Q1:
If BMI has an impact on the medical costs:
Business Insights:
The color differentiation, specifically employing yellow and purple, serves as a visual aid
to facilitate the comparative analysis of medical costs within distinct clusters of
individuals categorized as smokers and non-smokers across varying Body Mass Index
(BMI) levels.
Evidently, a discernible pattern emerges indicating that individuals who smoke tend to
exhibit elevated medical costs when contrasted with their non-smoking counterparts.
Upon closer examination, it becomes evident that amongst smokers, a discernible trend
is present wherein higher BMI values correspond to escalated medical costs. In contrast,
among non-smokers, the correlation between BMI values and medical costs appears to
be comparatively less pronounced.
It is noteworthy that an observable linear relationship seems to exist between BMI and
medical cost charges among smokers. This suggests that as BMI increases within the
smoking cluster, a proportional increase in medical cost charges can be anticipated. This
linear association signifies that the health implications and subsequent medical
expenses for smokers become progressively more substantial as their BMI levels rise.
Q2:
Compare the distribution of the medical costs of smokers and that of non-
smokers:
Business Insights:
The histograms presented above can be used to discern the contrasting distribution
patterns of medical cost charges between individuals identified as smokers and those
categorized as non-smokers.
A salient observation arises when scrutinizing the disparities between the two
histograms. The distribution of medical cost charges for smokers appears to exhibit a
noticeable rightward shift along the x-axis, indicating a propensity towards higher
charges. This divergence in distribution patterns serves as an initial cue suggesting that
smoking might indeed be associated with heightened medical costs.
The pronounced shift of the smokers' histogram towards higher cost ranges implies a
substantial difference in the economic burden borne by individuals who smoke.
The mode, being the most frequently occurring value, is notably distinct for the two
cohorts. Non-smokers exhibit a mode around 1000, indicating a concentration of charges
at this relatively lower value. In stark contrast, the mode for smokers is positioned
around 20000, markedly elevated in comparison. This contrast underscores a
considerable discrepancy in the central tendency of medical cost charges between the
two groups.
This divergence in modes becomes pivotal in understanding the disproportionate
financial implications associated with smoking-related health issues.
Q3:
Comparing the distribution of medical costs of young people and that of elder
people:
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Business Insights:
The histograms serves as a fundamental tool in discerning potential dissimilarities in the
distribution of medical costs between two distinct patient age groups: the younger and
older populations.
An immediate insight emerges upon scrutinizing the distribution disparities. The
histogram pertaining to the younger patient cohort demonstrates a leftward shift along
the x-axis, indicating a propensity towards lower medical costs. This initial observation
provides a basis for exploring the potential correlation between patient age and
corresponding medical expenditure.
The subtle variation in the distribution of younger patients' medical costs being skewed
towards lower values is indicative of relatively lesser financial burden associated with
medical treatments for this demographic. This trend might be attributed to factors such
as generally lower incidence of chronic illnesses and lesser exposure to long-term health
complications in comparison to their older counterparts.
Conversely, the histogram representing older patients exhibits a more pronounced
spread towards the right side of the x-axis, which conveys a broader distribution of
higher medical expenses. This pattern signifies that medical costs tend to escalate with
advancing age. This observation is consistent with the well-established notion of
increased healthcare utilization and medical needs among elderly individuals due to the
prevalence of age-related ailments and chronic health conditions.
The mode of the charge distributions further accentuates the disparities between the
two age groups. Younger patients exhibit a mode around 1000, indicating a
concentration of medical costs at this lower value. In contrast, the mode for elderly
patients is positioned around 10000, significantly higher than that of the younger group.
This discrepancy in the central tendency of medical costs strongly indicates a substantial
shift in financial implications associated with age-related health considerations.
Q4:
Plot 1:
Medical costs across two genders:
Findings:
The distinction between medical costs for males and females does not exhibit
substantial variations across different BMI categories. This observation suggests that, on
a general scale, the interplay between gender and BMI does not significantly impact
medical costs. This lack of discernible gender-based divergence could reflect the
convergence of other influential factors that collectively contribute to medical
expenditure.
However, it's important to note that within the dataset, there exist certain outliers.
These outliers manifest as instances where both males and females exhibit high BMI
values. Such outliers can potentially be indicative of exceptional cases where individuals
exhibit unusually high body mass indexes, which could potentially be attributed to
specific medical conditions or other factors. Investigating these outliers could provide
valuable insights into the connection between extreme BMI values and subsequent
medical costs.
Additionally, the presence of outliers is also notable with regards to charges. In the
context of medical costs, these outliers could indicate instances where individuals
incurred unusually high charges for medical treatments or procedures. These outliers
might warrant further scrutiny to understand the circumstances that led to such atypical
medical cost profiles. Such insights could be crucial for identifying exceptional medical
scenarios or uncovering potential inefficiencies within the healthcare system.
The presence of outliers in both BMI values and medical charges highlights the
importance of investigating exceptional cases.
Plot 2:
Medical costs across different regions:
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Findings:
Initially, it's apparent that there is limited variance in medical cost charges based on the
geographical distribution of the beneficiaries. This lack of pronounced variation suggests
that the region of residence does not seem to be a dominant factor influencing the
charges. This could imply that other variables, such as medical conditions, treatments, or
insurance coverage, might play a more significant role in determining the medical cost
structure.
The limited correlation between the region and charges is indicative of the complex
interplay of factors that contribute to healthcare expenses. While the geographical
location might influence certain aspects of healthcare access and cost, its direct impact
on medical charges appears to be subdued in comparison to other influential variables.
The south-eastern regions stand out due to their broader distribution of customer
charges. This extended range, reaching up to approximately 20,000, suggests a
potentially higher variability in medical costs within these regions. This could arise from
a combination of factors, including demographic variations, healthcare infrastructure,
and regional health policies.
Outliers are present across all regions in relation to charges. These outliers signify
instances where the medical charges significantly deviate from the norm.
Plot 3:
Age distribution of dataset records
Findings:
The Age of the insured approximately follows a uniform distribution with Mean of 39.2
and Median of 39, and with lowest age being 18 and highest being 64.
There are no outlier values in the Age distribution in the data.