Hypothesis: There is a statistically significant difference between the mean Immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels of smokers
and non-smokers.
Null Hypothesis: There is no difference in the IgA levels and therefore stress levels of smokers and non-smokers.
The purpose of this experiment was to determine if there is a difference in the level of stress of smokers and non-smokers. Stress levels are directly correlated to the amount of salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA), an antibody secreted by mucosal membranes. The level of IgA indicates how well the immune system is functioning. Each experimental group contained 30 individuals of the Radford University campus community. IgA levels were assessed utilizing an ELISA test on saliva samples of the test subjects. The data was evaluated using a t-test to determine if there is a statistically significant difference between the mean IgA levels of smokers and non-smokers in the study. The findings were not statistically significant (p=0.925) and further studies should be conducted in order to determine links between smoking and IgA levels.
and non-smokers.
Null Hypothesis: There is no difference in the IgA levels and therefore stress levels of smokers and non-smokers.
The purpose of this experiment was to determine if there is a difference in the level of stress of smokers and non-smokers. Stress levels are directly correlated to the amount of salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA), an antibody secreted by mucosal membranes. The level of IgA indicates how well the immune system is functioning. Each experimental group contained 30 individuals of the Radford University campus community. IgA levels were assessed utilizing an ELISA test on saliva samples of the test subjects. The data was evaluated using a t-test to determine if there is a statistically significant difference between the mean IgA levels of smokers and non-smokers in the study. The findings were not statistically significant (p=0.925) and further studies should be conducted in order to determine links between smoking and IgA levels.