Thanks for your response to my questions about averages. I have a couple more questions for you.

In continuing to work on the obesity study, my supervisor asked me to calculate the standard deviation, which I’m told is a way to describe the “variability” in my study. I did this and the standard deviation is 6.0, but I’m still unclear as to what the standard deviation actually tells me about the variability of my sample.

I’m having a hard time understanding what this means in terms of my study and would love a similar example that shows me what the standard deviation means.

Thanks,
Roger Snow