Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105481

Suzanne E. Proctor, MSPH, Office of Analysis and Epidemiology, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 6307, Hyattsville, MD 20782, (301) 458-4186, SProctor@cdc.gov

The second overarching goal of Healthy People 2010 is to eliminate differences among subgroups of the population, including differences that occur by gender, race and ethnicity, education or income, disability, geographic location or sexual orientation. This goal applies to all population-based objectives included in Healthy People 2010. The Healthy People 2010 Midcourse Review, scheduled for publication in 2006, will provide the decade's first assessment of progress toward this goal.

This presentation provides an in-depth look at the methods and statistics used to measure health disparities in the Healthy People 2010 Midcourse Review. Data from the Injury and Violence Prevention focus area are used to illustrate the calculation and interpretation of disparity statistics at a single point-in-time and over time. Pair-wise and summary statistics used to measure disparity between population subgroups, including the percent difference and the index of disparity, are described. The interpretation of these statistics is stressed. Methods for testing the statistical significance of disparities at a single point-in-time and for testing the change in disparities over time are also discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. State the definition of “disparity” used in Healthy People 2010
• 2. Calculate and interpret the percent difference and the index of disparity statistics
• 3. Describe how the percent difference and index of disparity statistics can be used to identify disparities among population groups and between health indicators
• 4. Describe how to carry out tests of statistical significance at a single point-in-time and over time

Keywords: Health Disparities, Injury

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.