Session: Statistical Methods for State and Local Public Health Data *

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

1003.0: Saturday, November 9, 2002: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Oral

Statistical Methods for State and Local Public Health Data *

Statement of Purpose and Institute Overview:

* This session is presented by the American Statistical Association Public health officials increasingly need to use statistical data at the state and local level. These data are needed to prepare community health indicators and report cards, to analyze the health of the population in terms of outcomes as well as social and environmental determinants, and for disease surveillance purposes. The use of "small area" data at the state and especially the local level, however, requires special statistical considerations due to small numbers, and maintaining privacy and confidentiality can be difficult. New statistical methods, however, can address some of these problems.Aimed at public health practitioners, this short course would introduce participants to statistical methods appropriate for state and local public health data and address practical aspects of their use. Topics to be covered include: Issues in the development and use of state and local public health data for community health indicators reports, performance measurement, public health report cards, surveillance and outbreak detection for bioterrorism and emerging infections; Introduction to hierarchical Bayes and other statistical methods for small area data; Privacy and confidentiality in the public release of state and local public health data.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the institute, the participants will be able to: 1. Identify three distinct uses of state and local level public health data; 2. Discuss the statistical issues presented involved in the use of state and local data; 3. Identify appropriate statistical methods for small area data; 4. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of at least two statistical methods for small area data; 5. Articulate the privacy and confidentiality issues involved in the release of state and local public health data; and 6. Compare at least two strategies to increase the amount of data that can be released to the public without compromising residents' privacy and confidentiality

See individual abstracts for presenting author's disclosure statement and author's information.

Organizer(s):

Michael A. Stoto, PhD
Thomas Louis, PhD

9:00 AM

Introductory Remarks

9:10 AM

Pre-Course assessment (Stoto and Louis)

9:15 AM

Presentation on issues in the development and use of state and local public health data
Michael A. Stoto, PhD

10:30 AM

Discussion and application of the issues presented

10:45 AM