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Statistical Multiplicity

Meaning

Statistical Multiplicity, also known as the multiple testing problem, is the inflation of the Type I error rate (the probability of falsely rejecting a true null hypothesis) that occurs when a clinical trial or study involves performing numerous statistical comparisons or analyses simultaneously. In hormonal health research, this problem is common when assessing multiple endpoints, looking at various subgroups, or performing interim analyses. Rigorous adjustment for multiplicity is essential to ensure that a statistically significant finding is a true therapeutic effect and not merely a result of chance.