Abstract: The asymptotic inferences about the difference or ratio of two proportions are very common in medicine and in
applied statistics, in general. Both the cases may be included within the
general case of inferences about the parameter (recently interest has been shown
about this parameter from the perspective of clinical trials). In this article,
the authors review the 12 principal statistics proposed in the relevant
literature, propose 15 new ones, group them into families, correct existing
errors in the definitions of some and, finally, define and analyze the most
desirable properties they should have. In addition, they offer a simple formula
that allows all the cases to be analyzed in a similar fashion, together witha computer program (http://www.ugr.es/local/bioest/Z_LINEAR.EXE) which
permits asymptotic tests related to L
to be carried out.
Keywords and phrases: confidence intervals, difference of proportions, risk ratio, z-test, chi-squared test.
