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      Biostatistics Series Module 6: Correlation and Linear Regression

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          Abstract

          Correlation and linear regression are the most commonly used techniques for quantifying the association between two numeric variables. Correlation quantifies the strength of the linear relationship between paired variables, expressing this as a correlation coefficient. If both variables x and y are normally distributed, we calculate Pearson's correlation coefficient ( r). If normality assumption is not met for one or both variables in a correlation analysis, a rank correlation coefficient, such as Spearman's rho (ρ) may be calculated. A hypothesis test of correlation tests whether the linear relationship between the two variables holds in the underlying population, in which case it returns a P < 0.05. A 95% confidence interval of the correlation coefficient can also be calculated for an idea of the correlation in the population. The value r 2 denotes the proportion of the variability of the dependent variable y that can be attributed to its linear relation with the independent variable x and is called the coefficient of determination. Linear regression is a technique that attempts to link two correlated variables x and y in the form of a mathematical equation ( y = a + bx), such that given the value of one variable the other may be predicted. In general, the method of least squares is applied to obtain the equation of the regression line. Correlation and linear regression analysis are based on certain assumptions pertaining to the data sets. If these assumptions are not met, misleading conclusions may be drawn. The first assumption is that of linear relationship between the two variables. A scatter plot is essential before embarking on any correlation-regression analysis to show that this is indeed the case. Outliers or clustering within data sets can distort the correlation coefficient value. Finally, it is vital to remember that though strong correlation can be a pointer toward causation, the two are not synonymous.

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          Linear regression and correlation

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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Indian J Dermatol
                Indian J Dermatol
                IJD
                Indian Journal of Dermatology
                Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd (India )
                0019-5154
                1998-3611
                Nov-Dec 2016
                : 61
                : 6
                : 593-601
                Affiliations
                [1] From the Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
                [1 ] Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
                Author notes
                Address for correspondence: Dr. Avijit Hazra, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, 244B Acharya J. C. Bose Road, Kolkata - 700 020, West Bengal, India. E-mail: blowfans@ 123456yahoo.co.in
                Article
                IJD-61-593
                10.4103/0019-5154.193662
                5122272
                27904175
                9b56e351-c1fb-423a-a77e-5fb42cdb39ae
                Copyright: © Indian Journal of Dermatology

                This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

                History
                : October 2016
                : October 2016
                Categories
                IJD ® Module on Biostatistics and Research Methodology for the Dermatologist - Module Editor: Saumya Panda

                Dermatology
                bland–altman plot,correlation,correlation coefficient,intraclass correlation coefficient,method of least squares,pearson's r,point biserial correlation coefficient,spearman's rho,regression

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