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Basic Concepts in Data Analysis for Community Health Assessment

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Overview Module Details Competencies
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Description

Hone your public health assessment skills with this series on data analysis. Module 1, Overview of Public Health Data, introduces types of data used in assessment activities. Analysis and Interpretation of Public Health Data (modules 2 and 3) show you how to use data to answer assessment questions. In module 4, Presenting Public Health Data, you will learn best practices for presenting tables and graphs. The last module, Data Available to Public Health Professionals, lists data sources and their strengths and limitations.

Objectives

By the end of module 1, participants will be able to:

  • Define screening.
  • Identify uses of data in public health core functions.
  • List at least three common data sources used to characterize the health or disease status of the community.
  • List five key attributes of data.
  • List three elements to consider when assessing data quality.

 

By the end of module 2, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the purpose of descriptive epidemiology and how it is used for assessment.
  • Describe why rates are important in doing assessment.
  • Name three kinds of rates.
  • Describe the two types of summary measures.
  • Explain the purpose of standardizing rates through age adjustment.

 

By the end of module 3, participants will be able to:

  • List six measures commonly used in public health.
  • Describe the difference between uses of incidence and prevalence rates.
  • Explain different ways to measure statistically significant difference.
  • Describe how to deal with the problems of unstable rates and small numbers.

 

By the end of module 4, participants will be able to:

  • List the common ways to present data.
  • Choose an appropriate format to present specific kinds of data.
  • Identify good design practices for tables and charts.

 

By the end of module 5, participants will be able to:

  • List the eight Washington data sources commonly used for public health assessment.
  • Describe characteristics of each data set and how each set is used in assessment activities.
  • Describe where to access each data source.