Do you have a standard way of interpreting the standard deviation? A narrative review

Abstract

Data presented in a paper have the limitation of summarizing the individual findings into statistical inferences. The standard deviation allows the reader to understand the spread of the data or the measurement of variation in a dataset that follows a normal distribution. The correct calculation and presentation of data along with measures of central tendency allow the comparison of data in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. A medical literature database search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane using the keywords, “standard deviation”, “biostatistics”, and “clinical studies,” followed by abstract screening, and full paper evaluation to gather the desired information. This review highlights the importance of the standard deviation, its uses, interpretation, and fallacies.

Keywords

• measures of central tendency
• normal distribution
• standard deviation