Question

Consider the following heart disease mortality data from two hypothetical countries, including a low-income and high-income country.

Age Group (years	% of population in age group	Death rate from heart disease
Hypothetical Low-Income
0-20	30%	2/100,000 person- years
21-50	40%	20/100,000 person- years
51-85	30%	40/100,000 person- years
Hypothetical high- income
0-20	20%	2/100,000 person- years
21-50	30%	20/100,000 person -years
51-85	50%	40/100,000 person- years

A. Use these data to calculate the overall crude death rates from heart disease in the hypothetical high and low income countries.

B. Based on these data, do you think that it is better to compare the heart disease death rates in the two countries using the overall crude rate or the age-standardized rate for each country? Briefly justify your answer.

Answer 1

Solution : From the given data here we have to compute the overall crude death rate from heart disease in Hypothetical high income countries i.e as follows

A) for 0 to 20 years age group = 30% of population in age group

= 2/100000 *30% = 6*10^-6

= 0.000006

for 21 to 50 years age group = 40% of population in age group

= 20 /100000 *40% = 8*10^5

= 0.00008

for 51 to 85 years age group = 30% of population in age group

= 40 /100000 *30% = 1.2*10^-4

total death rate on all ages in hypothetical high income countries

= 2+20+40 / 100000 = 62/ 100000

From the given data here we have to compute the overall crude death rate from heart disease in Hypothetical low income countries i.e as follows

for 0 to 20 years age group = 20% of population in age group

= 2/100000 *20% = 4*10^-6

= 0.000004

for 21 to 50 years age group = 40% of population in age group

= 20 /100000 *30% = 6*10^5

= 0.00006

for 51 to 85 years age group = 30% of population in age group

= 40 /100000 *50% = 2*10^-4

total death rate on all ages in hypothetical low income countries

= 2+20+40 / 100000 = 62/ 100000

B) it it is smarter to look at the heart disease death  rates in two countries utilizing age - institutionalized rate for every country in light of the fact that the extent of population  in various age gatherings is diverse for countries  so a general rough passing rate may not be as educational as an age institutionalized