Research at work: Understanding regression tables in research studies

Abstract

Understanding and interpreting regression tables is not the exclusive purview of academics. Social workers and allied professionals in micro and macro practice, regardless of whether they are undergraduate or graduate trained, can use the information provided in a research article to make informed decisions about practice and assessment. Regression tables are interpretable once the reader has a basic understanding of regression terms, tables, and criteria for causal inferences. While not an exhaustive discussion of multiple regression, this overview functions as a heuristic understanding for how to interpret multiple regression tables and statistics, and provides a framework for drawing causal inferences.