title: Statistical Primer for Athletic Trainers: The Difference Between Statistical and Clinical Meaningfulness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explain statistical significance and clinical meaningfulness and to provide guidance in evaluating the clinical meaningfulness of a study.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Understanding the results and statistics reported in original research remains a large challenge for many certified athletic trainers, which in turn, may be among the biggest barriers to integrating research into athletic training practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Statistical significance reflects the influence of chance on the outcome, whereas clinical meaningfulness reflects the degree to which the differences and relationships reported in a study are relevant to athletic training practice. As consumers of original research, athletic trainers must understand the core factors, most notably sample size, that influence statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To assist clinicians in evaluating the clinical meaningfulness of a research study, authors should provide the core elements necessary for interpreting statistical significance and discuss the clinical meaningfulness of statistically significant findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Armstrong State University, Savannah, GA;
authors.forename: Bryan L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Riemann
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lininger
mesh_terms: D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D012107:Research Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: P values; research design; statistics