variable

variable

 [var´e-ah-b'l]

something that changes; an attribute or property of a person, event, or object that is known to vary in a given study.

dependent variable in a mathematical equation or relationship between two or more variables, a variable whose value depends on those of others; it represents a response, behavior, or outcome that the researcher wishes to predict or explain.

extraneous variable a factor that is not itself under study but affects the measurement of the study variables or the examination of their relationships.

independent variable in a mathematical equation or relationship between two or more variables, any variable whose value determines that of others; it represents the treatment or experimental variable that is manipulated by the researcher to create an effect on the dependent variable.

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

var·i·a·ble

(var'ē-ă-bĕl),

1. That which is inconstant, which can or does change, as contrasted with a constant.

2. Deviating from the type in structure, form, physiology, or behavior.

[L. vario, to vary, change, differ]

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

variable

(vâr′ē-ə-bəl, văr′-)

adj.

1.

a. Likely to change or vary; subject to variation; changeable.

b. Inconstant; fickle.

2. Biology Tending to exhibit genetic variation or variation in a physical trait: geographically variable color patterns.

3. Mathematics Having no fixed quantitative value.

n.

Something that varies or is prone to variation.

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var′i·a·ble·ness n.

var′i·a·bly adv.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

variable

(1) Any attribute, phenomenon or event that can have different qualitative or quantitative values. Typically, a form of metadata goes with the variable, there is a variable definition that describes what is varying and there is a value for the variable. Variables are typically assessed in a clinical trial. 
(2) In Study Data Tabulation Model (SDTM), variables describe observations with roles that determine the type of information conveyed by the variable about each observation and how it can be used.

In SDTM, variables include specific subtypes used in clinical research: "study variable" in trial design refers to a variable to be captured on the case record form (CRF); an "assessment" is a study variable pertaining to the status of a subject/patient, is usually measured at a certain time and is usually not compounded significantly by combining several simultaneous measurements to form a derived assessment (e.g., BMI, or a result of statistical analysis); an "endpoint" is a variable that pertains to the trial objectives.

Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

variable

noun Epidemiology Any characteristic or attribute that can be measured. See Confounding variable, Continuous variable, Dependent variable, Independent variable, Instrumental variable, Intervening variable, Lurking variable, Natural variable, Predictor variable, Qualitative variable, Quantitative variable, Random variable.

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

var·i·a·ble

(var'ē-ă-bĕl)

1. That which is inconstant, which can or does change, as contrasted with a constant.

2. Deviating from the type in structure, form, physiology, or behavior.

[L. vario, to vary, change, differ]

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

var·i·a·ble

(var'ē-ă-bĕl)

That which is inconstant, which can or does change, as contrasted with a constant.

[L. vario, to vary, change, differ]

Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012