Know someone who wants to be #evidence-based & #data-driven in helping us fundraise for evidence-based programs?

Want to work on the "science of #scaling" #evidence-based programs in #globaldev w/@Yale rockstars like…

To test the causal impact of religiosity, we conducted a randomized evaluation of an evangelical Protestant Christian values and theology education program that consisted of 15 weekly half-hour sessions. We analyze outcomes for 6,276 ultra-poor Filipino households six months after the program ended. We find _significant increases in religiosity and income_, no significant changes in total labor supply, assets, consumption, food security, or life satisfaction, and a significant decrease in perceived relative economic status. Exploratory analysis suggests the program may have improved hygienic practices and increased household discord, and that _the income treatment effect may operate through increasing grit_.

Social Cohesion, Religious Beliefs, and the Effect of Protestantism on Suicide: https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/REST_a_00708
In an economic theory of suicide, we model social cohesion of the religious community and religious beliefs about afterlife as two mechanisms by which Protestantism increases suicide propensity. We build a unique micro-regional dataset of 452 Prussian counties in 1816-21 and 1869-71, when religiousness was still pervasive. Exploiting the concentric dispersion of Protestantism around Wittenberg, our instrumental-variable model finds that Protestantism had a substantial positive effect on suicide. Results are corroborated in first-difference models. Tests relating to the two mechanisms based on historical church-attendance data and modern suicide data suggest that the sociological channel plays the more important role.

see nordic traditions, see russian traditions, and see german tradtional "alt" medicine prescribed by Krankenkassen (wechselbaeder, wadenbaeder, cold showrs, sauna, retreats, water fasting) // cold showers - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2018/bcr-2017-222236 - Postoperative neuropathic pain exacerbated by movement is poorly understood and difficult to treat but a relatively common complication of surgical procedures such as endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. Here, we describe a case of unexpected, immediate, complete and sustained remission of postoperative intercostal neuralgia after the patient engaged in an open-water swim in markedly cold conditions.

These small, behind-the-scenes steps toward better policy execution can make a significant difference.

RT @Brooke_LaFlamme: So some overgrown man #fetus is so threatened by #diversity and #evidence-based reason that he literally just erase…

So some overgrown man #fetus is so threatened by #diversity and #evidence-based reason that he literally just erase…

So some overgrown man #fetus is so threatened by #diversity and #evidence-based reason that he literally just erase…

So some overgrown man #fetus is so threatened by #diversity and #evidence-based reason that he literally just erase…

So some overgrown man #fetus is so threatened by #diversity and #evidence-based reason that he literally just erase…

So some overgrown man #fetus is so threatened by #diversity and #evidence-based reason that he literally just erase…

smdh

I have read Andrew Gelman’s blog for about five years, and gradually, I’ve decided that among his many blog posts and hundreds of academic articles, he is advancing a philosophy not just of statistics but of quantitative social science in general. Not a statistician myself, here is how I would articulate the Gelman View:

A. Purposes

1. The purpose of social statistics is to describe and understand variation in the world. The world is a complicated place, and we shouldn’t expect things to be simple.
2. The purpose of scientific publication is to allow for communication, dialogue, and critique, not to “certify” a specific finding as absolute truth.
3. The incentive structure of science needs to reward attempts to independently investigate, reproduce, and refute existing claims and observed patterns, not just to advance new hypotheses or support a particular research agenda.

B. Approach

1. Because the world is complicated, the most valuable statistical models for the world will generally be complicated. The result of statistical investigations will only rarely be to  give a stamp of truth on a specific effect or causal claim, but will generally show variation in effects and outcomes.
2. Whenever possible, the data, analytic approach, and methods should be made as transparent and replicable as possible, and should be fair game for anyone to examine, critique, or amend.
3. Social scientists should look to build upon a broad shared body of knowledge, not to “own” a particular intervention, theoretic framework, or technique. Such ownership creates incentive problems when the intervention, framework, or technique fail and the scientist is left trying to support a flawed structure.

Components

1. Measurement. How and what we measure is the first question, well before we decide on what the effects are or what is making that measurement change.
2. Sampling. Who we talk to or collect information from always matters, because we should always expect effects to depend on context.
3. Inference. While models should usually be complex, our inferential framework should be simple enough for anyone to follow along. And no p values.

He might disagree with all of this, or how it reflects his understanding of his own work. But I think it is a valuable guide to empirical work.

- see the caveat of boosing your survival, measured by 5 years only from diagnoses, to diagnose earlier ... patient will still die from mostly majority of lung cancers anyway after the 5 year mark. but statistically counted as survivor. it is farcical. unethical moral especially considering anyways deadly diseases. does not help mental and well being. especially normal folk don't understand medical statistics cancer and evidence-based medicine. and ct scan(s) are NOT harmless, duh. Sure you identified a risk group smokers and ex smokers. but you don't do active screening for tgct for undescended testicle patients. see also the debate and conclusive evidence about breast cancer self-examination and mammography (nil benefit for the patient, over treatment over mis diagnoses, unneccesary interventions). &! https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4968781/early-cancer-detection-survival-rate/