The Boston Public Health Commission's Office of Research, Health Assessment, and Data Systems calculates age-adjusted mortality rates in its reports on the health status of Boston residents. Trends in age-adjusted mortality rates by race/ethnicity using the 1940 standard population and the new year 2000 standard population varied only for Asian/Pacific Islanders. With the implementation of the new year 2000 standard in the calculation of age-adjusted rates, this can affect the interpretation of mortality rates among Boston's Asian/Pacific Islanders.
Analyses: Age-adjusted mortality rates for 1990-1997 among Asian/Pacific Islanders were calculated using the 1940 standard population and the new year 2000 standard population, for total deaths and for the leading causes of death. Charts are used to compare age-adjusted mortality rate trends using the two standard populations.
Results: Changing to the year 2000 standard population in the calculation of age-adjusted rates results in substantially higher rates when compared with the 1940 standard. Trends in overall mortality rates and specific causes of death are affected, with small peaks in rates being amplified by the use of the new standard. This has implications for public heath policy and planning for programs with initiatives targeted to Asian/Pacific Islanders.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, all participants should be able to do the following: 1. Identify potential problems using age-adjusted mortality rates by race/ethnicity at the local level and their effect on monitoring health disparities by race/ethnicity; 2. Better understand how to analyze mortality data for small populations in their own community; 3. Gain understanding of methods which may be used to better evaluate mortality at the local level, when population size and age distribution is significantly different in some subgroups from the standard population
Keywords: Asian and Pacific Islander, Mortality
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.