Finding Health Statistics: Federal Sources You Should Know Deborah E. Hile November 10, 1999
Introduction n Why federal web resources? n What types of statistics are available? n What methods are used for gathering statistics? n What does the data look like?
Why federal web resources? n Government sites have a strong web presence. n Agencies at all levels generate statistics. n Statistical information widely available on the World Wide Web. n Public domain & easy to acquire.
Types of Statistics n Raw numbers n Percentages n Rankings n Probabilities
Methods for Gathering & Calculating n Censuses n Surveys/Questionnaires n Panels n Tests n Experiments
What does the data look like? n Full-text n Abstracts n Citations n Graphs, tables, charts
Federal Sources You Should Know n FEDSTATS n MMWR Weekly Report n National Center for Health Statistics n U.S. Bureau of the Census
Why should I know these sites? Evaluation Criteria: n Currency of information n Methods clearly explained n Usability of the web site n Additional software required?
FEDSTATS
FEDSTATS n What is the incidence of the common cold? n What are the 10 leading states reporting the highest # of AIDS cases among residents? n What is the percentage of children under age 18 in very good or excellent health by poverty status?
MMWR Weekly Report
MMWR Weekly Report n What are the ten leading causes of death? n In 1998, how many confirmed cases of Salmonella infections were identified? n What is the pregnancy success rate with assisted reproductive technology (ART)?
National Center for Health Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics n What is the number of Americans estimated to be 65 years of age and over in 2030? n What do trends indicate about expectant mothers and smoking? n In 1997, what was the average length of hospital stay for patients with HIV?
U.S. Bureau of the Census n What is the number of people under age 18 living in poverty in Salt Lake County, Utah?
Wrap Up: Web Searching Tips n Avoid search engines to locate statistics. n Use government agencies as starting points. n Search individual sites using terms: study, data, poll, report, survey, and research. n Narrow results being format-specific: figure, table, chart, graph, and caption.
Wrap Up: Web Searching Tips n Do not attempt to search for specific numbers. n Use “number-indicating” words: increase, decline, rise, fastest-growing, odds, and probability.
Thank you for your time! Deborah E. Hile