RATES, RATIOS,
AND VITAL
STATISTICS
COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH-LECTURE
RATIO
• also called a proportion if the quotient of the sum of the two numbers. A
good example is number of deaths per population.
RATE
• ratio involving a time period.
• count or measurement is observed over a period and then divided by its
base or population of observation.
Incidence Rate
• measures the frequency of occurrence of the phenomenon during a given
period of time. Deals only with NEW cases.
Prevalence rate
• Measures the proportion of the population which exhibits a particular
disease at a particular time.
• This can only be determined following a survey of the population
concerned.
• Deals with total (OLD and NEW) number of cases
Concepts of Incidence
and Prevalence
INCIDENCE
• Also known as attack rate, case, sickness rate morbidity rate
• It refers to newly discovered cases of a particular disease
• It answers the question “how frequent do cases of a particular
disease occur during a given period of time”
• Used when dealing with acute conditions and accidents
PREVALENCE
• It refers to the newly discovered and old cases of a particular
disease over a population
• Used when dealing with chronic conditions and disabilities
• It answers the question “what proportion of the group or
population is actually ill with a particular disease at a point in time.
• Usually determined by means of survey
CRUDE BIRTH RATE (CBR)
• This is a measure of fertility of the population
• The rate is called crude for the following reasons
– Only live births are counted
– The denominator is the total population which
includes children, old people and males
– The rate is expressed in population unit of 1000 to
make the figures meaningful
CRUDES DEATH RATE (CDR)
• This is a measure of the risk of dying from all causes in a
population.
• The Crude Birth Rate (CBR) and Crude Death Rate
(CBR)
– statistical values that can be utilized to measure the
growth or decline of a population.
– measured by the rate of births or deaths respectively
among a population of 1000.
– determined by taking the total number of births or
deaths in a population and dividing both values by a
number to obtain the rate per 1000.
MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE (MMR)
• Measure the risk of dying due to the process of pregnancy, childbirth and
puerperium.
• It also measures the adequacy of maternal health services
INFANT MORTALITY RATE (IMR)
• Measures the risk of dying due to infancy (under 1 year of age)
• deaths under 1 year of age/ number of live births x 1000
NEONATAL MORTALITY RATE
• Measures the risk of dying in the first four weeks of life of the infant
(newborn)
• The number of children dying under 28 days of age divided by the number
of live births that year
• ( Number of infant death / number of life birth ) X 1000
FETAL DEATH RATE
• Measures the risk of dying before birth
PERI-NATAL MORTALITY RATE
• The word means around the period of birth ( a month
or more before births and one month after birth)
• Measures the loss of life in later pregnancy and early
infancy.
COMMON
VITAL
STATISTICS
Fertility Rates
• Crude Birth rate = number of live births x 1000
Midyear population
• General Fertility Rate = Number of live births x 1000
Midyear population of women
(15-44 years of age)
COMMON
VITAL
STATISTICS
INDICATOR
Mortality Rate
• Crude Death rate = number of deaths x 1000
Midyear population
• Specific Mortality rate = number of death in a specified group x 1000
Midyear population of the same specified group
• Cause-of-Death Rate = number of deaths from a specified cause x 1000
Midyear population
Mortality Rate
• Infant Mortality Rate = deaths under one year of age x 1000
Number of live births
• Maternal Mortality rate
= # of deaths due to pregnancy, delivery and puerperium x 1000
Number of live births
• Proportionate Mortality rate
= number of deaths from a particular cause x 100
Midyear population
Mortality Rate
• Swaroop’s Index
= Number of deaths among those 50 years and over x 100
Total Deaths
• Case Fatality rate = number of Deaths from a specified cause x 100
Number of Cases of the same disease
Morbidity Rates
• Incidence Rate
= number of new cases of disease developing from a period of time x 100
Population at risk of developing the disease
• Prevalence Rate = number of Old and new cases of a disease x 100
Population examined