Can Keratin‑10 Improve Hemoglobin in Silicosis? A Paired t‑Test Walkthrough in SPSS

1. Problem and Data

A study collected hemoglobin (g/dL) measurements before and after treatment with Keratin‑10 in 10 silicosis patients. The table (image) shows the raw data. The question is whether the drug affects hemoglobin levels.

2. Analysis of the Question

The data consist of paired measurements for each patient, forming a quantitative paired design. To assess the drug effect, the difference between pre‑ and post‑treatment hemoglobin must be tested for statistical significance. If the two sets are normally distributed, a paired‑samples t‑test is appropriate.

The paired‑samples t‑test is applicable when:

Measurements are taken on the same subjects before and after a treatment.

The same subjects receive different treatments.

Different subjects are matched and each pair receives different treatments.

3. SPSS Operations

(1) Import the data into SPSS.

(2) Choose Analyze → Compare Means → Paired‑Samples T Test.

(3) In the dialog, move the “before” and “after” variables into the Paired Variables box as Variable1 and Variable2, then click OK.

4. Result Interpretation

The Paired Samples Statistics table provides mean, N, standard deviation and standard error for pre‑ and post‑treatment hemoglobin.

The correlation between the two measurements is 0.676 (p = 0.032), indicating a significant relationship.

The Paired Samples Test shows t = –0.531, p = 0.609 (> 0.05), so the difference is not statistically significant.

5. Conclusion

Mean hemoglobin before treatment was 13.4 ± 1.3 g/dL and after treatment 13.6 ± 1.0 g/dL. Because t = –0.531 and p = 0.609, Keratin‑10 cannot be considered to affect hemoglobin levels in silicosis patients.