Population data, both the number of people and their location, are important for determining the impact of a disease on a community and for monitoring disease trends over space and time. Age, gender, race, and ethnicity are used to standardize disease rates for better comparison to other locations.
These measures provide estimates for population count and important population characteristics. They can be used to identify populations likely to be at-risk for acute and chronic illnesses, exposed to different chemicals in the environment, or impacted by a public health emergency. They can be used for calculating the amount of resources needed for a public health response or for public safety. Further, they can be used to identify increases in disease based on time or location and to adjust data for known risk factors when evaluating associations between adverse health effects and environmental hazards.
Measure Description:
- The Population Count is the number of people