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Health Statistics: Home

This guide has sources of Health Statistics that can be used for public health research.

What are Health Statistics?

health stats

  • Population based
  • Collected and analyzed over time
  • Have many types, such as vital (birth, death, marriage, divorce, etc.), morbidity and mortality, cost of health care, etc. 

Why are Health Statistics so important?

Health statistics support the development of measures of progress that allow public health authorities to 

  • Understand distribution of health conditions, diagnoses, and procedures
  • Gauge disparities
  • Identify prevention targets

Health statistics help with public health program planning and evaluation

  • Track emerging threats
  • Mobilize activities
  • Monitor progress
  • Allocate resources
  • Measure health care costs

Health statistics are used in creation of health policy and legislation

Steps to Finding Health Statistics

  1.  Formulate the question
    ▫General or specific
    ▫Geographic coverage
    ▫Time period
    ▫Age range of population
    ▫Determine ultimate purpose of statistics
  2. Choose the best source for the question 
    ▫Portals/gateways
    ▫Federal /state/local agencies
    ▫International sources
    ▫Nonprofit organizations
  3. Evaluate the results 
    ▫Is needed information provided?
    ▫Evaluate the information source and method

acknowledgement

Many thanks go to the continuing education class Health Statistics by National Network of Libraries of Medicine/Southerneastern Atlantic Region for much of this listing