Statistics and Data in Public Health

Vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts from the lecture on statistics and data in public health.

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)

A federal agency that compiles data on births, deaths, and vital statistics.

Vital Statistics

Data regarding important life events such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces.

Census

A population count conducted every ten years to gather demographic information.

Mortality Rate

The rate of death in a given population, often expressed per 1,000 individuals.

Infant Mortality Rate

The number of infant deaths before the age of one per 1,000 live births.

Years Potential Life Lost (YPLL)

A measure of premature mortality, defining years lost due to deaths before age 75.

Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (BRFS)

A survey that collects data on health-related risk factors among states.

Epidemiological Studies

Research studies that measure the frequency and distribution of health-related states or events.

Confidence Interval

A range of values that is likely to contain the true value of a statistic.

Sensitivity

The ability of a test to correctly identify individuals with a disease, minimizing false negatives.

Specificity

The ability of a test to correctly identify individuals without a disease, minimizing false positives.

Analytical Sensitivity

The likelihood that a test will not miss detecting a pathogen.

Clinical Sensitivity

The percentage of positive test results among patients with a confirmed disease.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

A comparison of the estimated costs and benefits of a healthcare policy or program.

Emergency Authorization

A process by which the FDA allows the use of medical tests or treatments during urgent situations.

False Positive

An incorrect test result that indicates a disease is present when it is not.

False Negative

An incorrect test result that indicates a disease is absent when it is present.