Abstract

The results from government surveys are often available wholly or in part to the general public. However the format of this information is not always optimal for distribution or analysis, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, NHANES III, is one such example. This survey is released as data sets containing a Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) program, a column delimited data file, and documentation. This limits access to the data by requiring a license to read in and query the data. By taking the data in its available format and parsing it into a MySQL database the wealth of information contained in the survey has become more widely accessible while maintaining its completeness and without any loss in ability to query the data. The programs used to create the database consist of tools available at no cost. Recent studies have provided evidence that vitamin D may play a part in cardiovascular health. This evidence, along with the information included in the NHANES IIII, a wide range of survey and examination data, including cardiovascular health and blood serum vitamin D levels, was used to perform a retrospective study searching for a correlation between vitamin D and hypertension across age groups in white males, black males, white females and black females. The analysis found statistically significant evidence mainly in younger individuals, and especially white females that those diagnosed with hypertension have lower serum levels of vitamin D than their normotensive counterparts.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Hypertension--Research; Vitamin D--Research; Data mining; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (U.S.)

Publication Date

5-20-2010

Document Type

Thesis

Department, Program, or Center

Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences (COS)

Advisor

Osier, Michael

Advisor/Committee Member

Skuse, Gary

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works. Physical copy available through RIT's The Wallace Library at: RC685.H8 M37 2010

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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