Question

Describe among crude rates, specific rates and adjusted rates

Answer 1

Crude death rate:

Crude death rate is the total number of deaths to residents in a specified geographic area divided by the total population for the same geographic area ( particular time period) and multiplied by 100,000.

Total resident deaths

---------------------------- *100,000

Total population

Importance of crude rates:

1. Very general indicator/ index f the health status of a particular area of the population
2. Used for the comparison of different population or areas due to the significant impact of age in mortality data and different age distribution in given population.
3. Identification of persons at risk
4. It has 4 divisions:
   1. Specified measurement period
   2. Main calculation depends on the specified geographic area in a particular period
   3. Total population in the same geographic area for the same particular period
   4. Constant value

Specific rate:

1. Real number
2. Providing an absolute measurement as well as a useful statistical tool for comparison and trend analysis
3. Use of specific rates in analysis can result in massive amounts of data with which to work/ exhibit
4. It depends on the analyst needs.

Types:

1. Age specific
2. Sex specific
3. Race specific

Adjusted rates:

1. Artificially created figure
2. It enables the comparison across time and space.
3. It should be compared with another adjusted rate that was computed using the same standard population.
4. Used for comparative analysis.

Age adjusted rates are of 2 types:

1. Age- adjusted rates : direct method
2. Age adjusted rates : indirect method