Question: What is linear regression and how does it help you to research the bones and muscle?

Camille Parsons answered on 11 Jun 2018:

Regression is a statistical technique that allows you to model the relationship between two things of interest (for example a person’s height and skull size). By using linear regression we can compare the data for each of the things of interest and gain an understand of whether there is a relationship between the two things. The linear part means that we are assuming that the relationship we are interested is a straight line, therefore using the example given earlier as a person’s height increases so does there skull size. Therefore linear regression helps us investigate all sorts of different relationships, helping us gain a better understanding of our bones and muscles. One piece of research I have completed using linear regression is to investigate whether what someone eats makes their bones stronger later in life.