Table 1 Sample characteristics in two randomized trials of summary format testing
Trials | Trial 1. Framing | Trial 2. Numerical presentation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Variables | Negative (n = 44) | Positive (n = 47) | Group A (n = 120) | Group B (n = 125) |
Biomedical students (%) | 44 (100) | 47 (100) | 52 (44.1) | 43 (46.7) |
Women (%) | 32 (72.2) | 33 (70.2) | 75 (62.5) | 83 (66.4) |
Age (Md, IQR) | 19 (19.0 to 19.8) | 19 (19.0 to 20.0) | 28.5 (21.0 to 47.5) | 33.0 (22.0 to 55.0) |
Education (%): | ||||
Elementary | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8) | 2 (1.6) |
High school | 0 | 0 | 22 (18.3) | 33 (26.4) |
Currently enrolled in university | 44 (100) | 47 (100) | 55 (45.8) | 47 (37.6) |
College graduate | 0 | 0 | 8 (6.7) | 24 (19.2) |
University graduate | 0 | 0 | 33 (27.5) | 19 (19.2) |
PhD | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8) | 0 |
Information sources (%)a | ||||
Internet | 27 (61.4) | 34 (72.3) | 90 (75.0) | 95 (76.0) |
Family and friends | 16 (36.4) | 17 (36.2) | 39 (32.5) | 54 (43.2) |
Books | 12 (27.3) | 11 (23.4) | 48 (40.0) | 42 (33.6) |
Family doctor | 31 (70.5) | 29 (61.7) | 78 (65.0) | 85 (68.0) |
Internet sources (%)a | ||||
First page of search results | 17 (38.6) | 16 (34.0) | 40 (33.3) | 58 (46.4) |
Online forums | 19 (43.2) | 19 (40.4) | 38 (31.7) | 43 (34.4) |
Hospital websites | 9 (20.5) | 19 (40.4) | 20 (16.7) | 18 (14.4) |
Local specialized websites | 13 (29.5) | 14 (29.8) | 30 (25.4) | 32 (34.8) |
International specialized articles | 5 (11.4) | 11 (23.4) | 23 (19.2) | 13 (10.4) |
Research articles | 4 (9.1) | 8 (17.0) | 30 (25.0) | 19 (15.2) |
Email to physicians on Internet websites | 1 (2.3) | 4 (8.5) | 4 (3.3) | 1 (0.8) |
Numeracy preference itemb(Md, IQR) | 0.0 (0.0 to 1.0) | 0.0 (−2.3 to 1.5) | ||
Objective numeracy (Md, IQR)c | 5.0 (4.0–5.0) | 5.0 (4.0–5.0) | 3.0 (2.0 to 4.0) | 3.0 (2.0 to 4.0) |