Resources in Vital and Health Statistics: Sources by Type
Often organizations provide information on multiple types of statistics. The sources below have been listed according to their primary type of statistic provided. Each area begins with international providers and moves through to local ones. The areas covered are:
Mortality and Morbidity Statistics
Mortality statistics are the rates at which a specific population group die of certain diseases and conditions. Morbidity statistics are the number of people in a specific population group affected by certain diseases and conditions. For example, the number of people who died in Los Angeles County in 1999 as a direct result of diabetes is a mortality statistic, while the incidence of people with diabetes in Los Angeles County in the same year is a morbidity statistic.
WHO Statistical Information System
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides health-related statistics on an international level. Pay particular attention to the sections “General Statistical Information,” “Causes of Death” and “Statistical Annex of the World Health Report.”
Demographic and Health Surveys
This program compiles information specifically on developing nations. It is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Health, United States, 2008
The National Center for Health Statistics provides detailed health statistics for the United States. See “Hints for Use” for help on how to use the files.
DATA2010
DATA2010 is based on the “Healthy People 2010: Objectives for Improving Health” program. The program tracks data on 487 objectives in 28 focus areas for the United States as a whole. Certain indicators are also provided on a state level. The actual data is provided through the CDC Wonder system. To use the data tables, you can either log on as an anonymous user or register.
State Health Facts Online
This site is sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and provides information on a number of health indicators. The site also provides some basic demographic information.
Disease Trends: State and Local Health Statistics
Part of the Centers for Disease Control, this site allows you to search the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for information on a specific state, as well as New York City, the District of Columbia, and certain U.S. territories.
Demographics
Demographics are statistics used to describe the characteristics or composition of a population group. They tend to cover social and economic characteristics, but type and level of information gathered varies from survey to survey.
WHO Statistical Information System
Although WHO does not directly provide demographic information, it does provide links to demographic information on member states; see “List of WHO Member States.”
Demographic and Health Surveys This program compiles information specifically on developing nations. It is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
IDB Summary Demographic Data
The U.S. Census Bureau provides summary demographic data on a country-by-country basis.
American FactFinder
Maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau, this site provides easy access to Census demographic information, as well as national maps and the more detailed U.S. Census Bureau home page.
Census State Data Centers
This site provides links to state information related to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Counting California
Provided by the Library of California and California Digital Library, this site has detailed information on a state, county and city level. Information generally is arranged in a topical manner.
State and County QuickFacts
QuickFacts is a part of the U.S. Census Bureau site, and provides demographic information on a state and county level. In addition to summary data, the site also provides links to more in-depth information sources.
Vital Statistics
Vital statistics include births, deaths, marriages and divorces. They are often kept by all levels of government agencies, although in the United States gathering the data is specifically a state responsibility.
WHO Statistical Information System
The World Health Organization provides international birth and death information as provided to them by member states. Select categories “Demographic and socioeconomic statistics” or “Mortality and burden of disease” to find birth and death data or use the Customized Search for more flexibility.
NCHS Surveys and Data Collection Systems, National Vital Statistics System
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) collects vital statistics gathered by the states and presents them on this site.
Vital Statistics Data Tables
This site is sponsored by the California Department of Health Services and provides vital statistics on a state and county level, in table format.
Center for Health Statistics Vital Statistics Query System
Provided by the California Department of Health Services, this site provides vital statistics for the state of California on a county level. Information is provided by means of a query system, rather than in data tables.
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