Kaplan Meier Survival Analysis with SPSS and JAMOVI

Introduction

This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide on conducting Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using SPSS and JAMOVI. Kaplan-Meier analysis is a statistical method used to estimate the survival function from lifetime data, making it essential for researchers in various fields such as medicine, biology, and social sciences. By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to perform this analysis effectively using both software programs.

Step 1: Prepare Your Data

Before conducting a Kaplan-Meier analysis, ensure your data is correctly formatted. Your dataset should include:

• A time variable indicating the time until the event of interest (e.g., death, failure).
• A status variable indicating whether the event occurred (1 for event, 0 for censored).

Practical Tips:

• Check for missing values and handle them appropriately.
• Ensure that your time variable is in a numeric format.

Step 2: Conduct Kaplan-Meier Analysis in SPSS

Follow these steps to perform the analysis in SPSS:

1. Open SPSS and load your dataset.
2. Navigate to Analyze > Survival > Kaplan-Meier.
3. In the dialog box:
   • Move your time variable to the Time box.
   • Move your status variable to the Status box.
   • If you have a grouping variable (e.g., treatment group), move it to the Category box.
4. Click on Options and select additional statistics or plots you wish to include, like survival curves.
5. Click OK to run the analysis.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Forgetting to specify the correct status coding (1 and 0).
• Not checking the assumptions before analysis, which could lead to misleading results.

Step 3: Visualize Results in SPSS

After running the analysis, visualize your results:

1. SPSS will produce a survival curve automatically. Review this curve to interpret the survival probabilities over time.
2. You can also export the graph by right-clicking on it and selecting Export to save it in your preferred format.

Step 4: Conduct Kaplan-Meier Analysis in JAMOVI

To perform the analysis in JAMOVI, follow these steps:

1. Open JAMOVI and load your dataset.
2. Click on the Analyses tab, then select Survival > Kaplan-Meier.
3. In the analysis setup:
   • Select your time variable for the Time field.
   • Choose your event variable for the Event field.
   • If applicable, add a grouping variable for stratification.
4. Click OK to run the analysis.

Practical Tips:

• JAMOVI provides interactive outputs, so take advantage of the real-time updates as you modify your settings.
• You can customize the data visualization options to better suit your presentation needs.

Step 5: Interpret the Results

Once you have your results from either SPSS or JAMOVI:

• Focus on the survival curves to understand the survival probabilities across groups.
• Look for median survival times and confidence intervals to gauge the reliability of your estimates.
• Consider conducting log-rank tests to compare survival curves across different groups.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to perform Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using SPSS and JAMOVI, including data preparation, conducting the analysis, visualizing results, and interpreting them. Take the time to practice with different datasets to strengthen your understanding. For further exploration, consider learning about Cox proportional hazards models for more complex survival analyses.