What does proportional in this context mean?

[bartholomew]

I was given a task of doing a race equality impact assessment.

I was told that in doing my analysis I should consider number of violent incidents proportional to numbers in the patient population.

I do not understand the above. could you proffer any help?

[Clanad]

The classic definition of proportional is; properly related in size, degree or other related charcteristics.  In your example the analysis requested requires that you consider the number of violent incidents in relation to various differences that can be observed in a given patient population.  For example, the patient population can be divided according to age, race, sex, education, etc. The anyalysis would indicate if one of the divisions had a higher incidence of violent actions than others...

[WaldoMcFroog]

Hang on! You asked what a race equality impact assessment was in this question:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Phrases-and-Sayings/Question136121.html

I gave you a response assuming you had come across one, not needed to do one. I couldn't guarantee my interpretation was correct for what you're doing and would strongly advise you not to take my interpretation as gospel. 

With all respect, you need to go back to your superiors and get properly briefed if you don't understand the task you have been assigned.

[curiosity]

I'm a bit concerned that this is an NHS project to do with racial equality in Mental Health Care. If it is your results will be published & broadcast (depending on the weight of news that day) to the nation. If this is not an accurate and valid study, not only does it discredit excellent services, but it also will put already reluctant mentally unwell people to access services, especially in our minority populations. Ignore this if I'm way off the mark, but whatever it's about I don't think you should do it without a full understanding of it's potential impact.

Good Luck

[Peter Pedant]

Oh dear, Bartholomew, it seems you shoved  a stick into a hornet's nest....I too I am afraid have told an 'answer' to some sap and been quite pleased with my effort, and then read the red ink from the teacher and blushed.

Whether or not your assignment was part of the NHS, that is no reason to have help here.

Suppose you have a set of 100 acts or fights.

and then you find that this occurs in  a population of 1000, then that is 1 act per 10 head of population.

Now suppose your population is 24% Bangladeshi and 75% English and 1% French (!) I know you're not English. Only one fight should involve a Froggie....if there are five, this not expected and the poor froggies are getting a hell of a pasting....

But also, the expectation is 6% of fights between bangladeshis, 37.5% between the two ethnic groups and the rest 56% between Enlgish drunken yobs as usual....But the observed proportions may be different. The statistical analysis of whether the observations differ significantly or not from the expected is, as they say, beyond the scope of this answer.

I really feel you could have been given some instructions in this, as the statistics are not straightforward. perhaps someone else can say if they are.

Anyway - this is a start -and perhaps others can add.