Chapter R, Problem 3.1RE

R3.1–R3.18. What design? Analyze the design of each research example reported. Is it a sample survey, an observational study, or an experiment? If a sample, what are the population, the parameter of interest, and the sampling procedure? If an observational study, was it retrospective or prospective? If an experiment, describe the factors, treatments, randomization, response variable, and any blocking, matching, or blinding that may be present. In each, what kind of conclusions can be reached?

R3.1. Researchers identified 242 children in the Cleveland area who had been born prematurely (at about 29 weeks). They examined these children at age 8 and again at age 20, comparing them to another group of 233 children not born prematurely. Their report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said the “preemies” engaged in significantly less risky behavior than the others. Differences showed up in the use of alcohol and marijuana, conviction of crimes, and teenage pregnancy.