Question

Restless Leg Syndrome and Fibromyalgia

People with restless leg syndrome have a strong urge to move their legs to stop uncomfortable sensations. People with fibromyalgia suffer pain and tenderness in joints throughout the body. A recent study indicates that people with fibromyalgia are much more likely to have restless leg syndrome than people without the disease. The study indicates that, for people with fibromyalgia, the probability is 0.33 of having restless leg syndrome, while for people without fibromyalgia, the probability is 0.03. About 2% of the population has fibromyalgia. Create a tree diagram from this information and use it to find the probability that a person with restless leg syndrome has fibromyalgia.

Answer 1

The probability that a person with restless leg syndrome has fibromyalgia is 0.1833.

Explanation:

Denote the events as follows:

F = a person with fibromyalgia

R = a person having restless leg syndrome

The information provided is as follows:

P (R | F) = 0.33

P (R | F') = 0.03

P (F) = 0.02

Consider the tree diagram attached below.

Compute the probability that a person with restless leg syndrome has fibromyalgia as follows:

`P(F|R)=(P(R|F)P(F))/(P(R|F)P(F)+P(R|F')P(F'))\\\\=((0.33* 0.02))/((0.33* 0.02)+(0.03* 0.98))\\\\=0.183333\\\\\approx 0.1833`

Thus, the probability that a person with restless leg syndrome has fibromyalgia is 0.1833.