Question

A pediatric journal article analyzing dental caries in children under 5 years of age states that the standard deviation for the findings is ±20. What does the reported standard deviation MOST likely indicate?

1) The average number of dental caries in children under 5 years of age is 20.
2) The range of dental caries in children under 5 years of age is 20.
3) The majority of children under 5 years of age have dental caries within 20 of the mean.
4) The variability in the number of dental caries in children under 5 years of age is 20.

Answer 1

The standard deviation of ±20 regarding dental caries in children under 5 years old indicates that it is the variability from the mean, showing how much the number of caries varies among the children.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reported standard deviation of ±20 in a pediatric journal article analyzing dental caries in children under 5 years of age most likely indicates the variability in the number of dental caries. The standard deviation is a measure of how much variation or dispersion there is from the average (mean). Therefore, the correct interpretation of a standard deviation of ±20 would be that the majority of children under 5 years of age have dental caries within 20 of the mean, not the average number of caries itself or the range of dental caries.