Frequency Measures

Frequency Measures

Definition

• Compare one part of a distribution to another part or to the entire distribution.

Common Frequency Measures (RPR)

1. Ratio

   • Represents the relative magnitude of two quantiles or a comparison of any two values.

   • Used as both descriptive measures and analytic tools.

2. Proportion

   • Comparison of a part to the whole (numerator included in the denominator).

   • Expressed as a decimal, fraction, or percentage.

   • Primarily descriptive and used to describe disease attributable to exposure.

3. Rate

   • Measure of the frequency of an event occurring in a defined population over a specified time period.

   • Useful for comparing disease frequency across different locations, times, or populations of varying sizes.