Occurrence of Disease: Measures of Mortality Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering measures of mortality, health indices, and population comparisons from Chapter 4 of EXSC 3450.

Mortality Rate (Annual Death Rate)

The total number of deaths from all causes in 1 year divided by the number of persons in the population at midyear, multiplied by $10^n$.

Case Fatality

The number of individuals dying during a specified period after disease onset divided by the total number of individuals with that specified disease.

Proportionate Mortality

The proportion or share of total deaths over a time period resulting from a specific disease, calculated as the number of specific disease deaths divided by total deaths.

Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL)

A measure of premature mortality calculated as the total number of years of life lost before a predetermined standard age (75 years in the US) due to a specific disease.

Underlying Cause of Death

The disease or injury which initiated the train of morbid events leading directly or indirectly to death, or the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury.

ICD (International Classification of Diseases)

A system of standardized disease coding used on death certificates to track mortality causes, currently in its 11th revision.

Direct Age Adjustment

A method of adjusting mortality rates across populations by applying age-specific death rates of each population to a standard total population.

Indirect Age Adjustment

A mortality adjustment method used when the number of deaths for each age-specific stratum is unavailable, often used in studying occupationally exposed populations.

Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR)

A calculated index of mortality risk defined as the observed number of deaths per year divided by the expected number of deaths per year ($\text{SMR} = \frac{\text{Observed}}{\text{Expected}}$).

Cohort

A group of individuals defined by a shared experience or characteristic over time, such as year or decade of birth or period of a specific exposure.

Cohort Effect

Variations over time in one or more characteristics among groups of individuals defined by a shared experience.

Impairment

Any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function.

Disability

Any restriction or lack of ability, resulting from an impairment, to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal.

Handicap

A disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or disability, that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal depending on age, sex, and social and cultural factors.

Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY)

A measure of disease impact representing 1 lost year of healthy life, calculated as the sum of years of life lost to premature death and years lived with a disability of specified severity and duration.

Epidemiologic Transition

The shift over time in the distribution of mortality causes within populations, such as from communicable to noncommunicable diseases.