Health Indicators and Life Expectancy

Mortality Health Indicators

• The measurement of health is complex and requires multiple indicators, not just one.
• Community health assessment is dependent on mortality indicators.
• Key classifications of health indicators include mortality, morbidity, disability rates, nutritional status, health care delivery, and utilization rates.

Mortality Indicators

• Crude death rate: Calculated as the number of deaths per 1,000 population per year in a specific community.
• Crude death rates are affected by age and sex composition.
• Decreasing death rates generally indicate improved health in a population.

Expectation of life

• Life expectancy at birth is the average lifespan of people born alive, assuming current mortality rates persist.
• Life expectancy is calculated separately for males and females.
• Life expectancy is a good measure of socioeconomic development and overall health.
• Increased life expectancy typically corresponds to improved health.

Age-Specific Death Rates

• Age-specific death rates represent the number of deaths within a particular age group (e.g., 20-24 years) within a specific area during a certain time period, divided by the total population within the same age group, and area. Expressed as per 1000.

• Different formulas for calculating age-specific mortality rates for different age groups.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

• IMR = Total number of infant deaths (0-<1 year) in a given year/locality / Total number of births in same year/locality * 1000
• IMR is an indicator of both infant and overall population health, including socioeconomic conditions.
• Significant variations exist in infant mortality rates globally and geographically.

Child Mortality Rate

• Defined as deaths of children aged 1-4 years in a given year, per 1000 children in the same age group. Calculated mid-year.
• Infant mortality is excluded from the child mortality rate calculation.
• Variations globally show a strong correlation between child mortality and factors such as socio-economic development.

Cause-Specific Mortality Rate

• This refers to deaths arising from specific illnesses or groups of illnesses, expressed per 100,000 population.
• Examples include cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and accidents.
• Cause-specific mortality rates offer valuable insight into disease-related health problems.

Proportional Mortality Rate (PMR)

• PMR is calculated as the number of deaths from a specific cause during a time period, divided by the total number of deaths during the same period, expressed as a percentage per 100.
• Example: Coronary heart disease in Western countries often makes up 25-30% of deaths .
• This measure helps assess the burden of specific causes of death.

Case Fatality Rate (CFR)

• CFR considers how many people die from a specific disease during a time period versus the total number of people diagnosed with that disease during the same period. Expressed as a percentage per 100.
• The measure can reveal various aspects of diseases, such as virulence, severity, and pathogenicity and be useful in evaluating other short-term, non-disease-related causes of death.

Maternal (Puerperal) Mortality Rate

• Calculated as the number of maternal deaths within 42 days of pregnancy termination, childbirth, and puerperium, per 100,000 live births, in a specific geographic area and time period.
• Maternal mortality is a considerable proportion of deaths among reproductive-aged women in developing countries.
• Variations exist significantly in maternal mortality rates between countries.

This quiz covers crucial health indicators used to assess community health, focusing on mortality and life expectancy. Explore how different measurements, such as crude death rates and life expectancy, reflect the overall health and socioeconomic development of populations. Test your knowledge on the factors influencing these indicators and their implications for public health.