Question

In a newspaper or magazine, or on the Internet, find an example of

(a) a descriptive study.

(b) an inferential study.

Short answer

Part (a) People who have successfully maintained weight loss over time.

Part (b) Occupational health services within the National Health Service.

Step-by-step solution

Part (a) Step 1. Given information.

The given statement is:

Find an example of each a descriptive study and an inferential study in a newspaper or magazine.

Part (a) Step 2. Example of a descriptive study.

"A descriptive study of people who have successfully maintained significant weight loss over time."

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) is, to our knowledge, the largest study of people who have successfully maintained their weight loss over time. Despite having long histories of obesity, the 629 women and 155 men in the registry shed an average of 30 kg and kept a minimum weight loss of 13.6 kg for 5 years.

A little more than half of the participants lost weight through structured programs, while the rest lost weight on their own. Both groups said they lost weight through diet and exercise, and approximately 77 percent of the participants said a triggering event has been behind their successful weight loss.

Source: http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9250100

Part (b) Step 1. Example of an inferential study.

"Changing for NHS plus: an inferential study based on the internal provision of occupational health services within the National Health Service" is an example of an inferential study.

'NHS +' was envisioned as a national agency that would offer organizations occupational health services for a fee, without putting a financial strain on taxpayers. The current provision of occupational health services to more than 100,000 National Health Service (NHS) employees by 13 NHS occupational health services of varied sizes was investigated with the goal of identifying an appropriate charge-out rate to third parties.

Two focus groups were asked about their work outside the NHS. The nature of the resourcing link was investigated using regression analysis using data collected on the allocation of doctors and nurses to occupational health services in relation to the number of NHS customers served.

The connection was found to be stable enough to produce a good estimate of personnel requirements (the major resource requirement), and when combined with costing data, inferences about the economic cost and thus the break-even rate of charge for the service could be derived.

After that, published case studies were compared.

The findings show that per capita charges to external clients are lower than the per capita cost of internal NHS occupational health services, raising concerns about the service's viability.

Source: http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgl/content/abstract/54/3/165