Health indicator

Health indicators are quantifiable characteristics of a population which researchers use as

supporting evidence for describing the health of a population. Typically, researchers will use
a survey methodology to gather information about a population sample, use statistics in an
attempt to generalize the information collected to the entire population, and then use the
statistical analysis to make a statement about the health of the population.[1] Health indicators are
often used by governments to guide health care policy or to make goals for improving population
health.[1]

Health Indicators
1. Mortality indicators
2. Morbidity indicators
3. Disability rates
4. Nutritional status indicators
5. Health care delivery indicators
6. Utilization rates
7. Indicators of social and mental health
8. Environmental indicators
9. Socio-economic indicators
10. Health policy indicators
11. Indicators of quality of life
12. Other indicators

Uses of Indicators of Health

• Measurement of the health of the community.
• Description of the health of the community.
• Comparison of the health of different communities.
• Identification of health needs and prioritizing them.
• Concurrent evaluation and terminal evaluation of health services.
• Planning and allocation of health resources.
• Measurement of health successes.

Characteristics of Indicators
Valid -They should actually measure what they are supposed to measure
Reliable -The answers should be the same if measured by different people in similarcircumstances
Sensitive -They should be sensitive to changes in the situation concerned
Specific -They should reflect changes only in the situation concerned
Feasible -They should have the ability to obtain data needed
Relevant -They should contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of interest

Characteristics[edit]
A health indicator which will be used internationally to describe global health should have the
following characteristics:

1. It should be defined in such a way that it can be measured uniformly

internationally.[2]
2. It must have statistical validity.[2]
 3. The indicator must be data which can feasibly be collected in a reasonable
amount of time.[2][3]
4. The analysis of the data must result in a recommendation on which people can
make changes to improve health[2]

Indicators of Health
Indicator also termed as Index or Variable is only an indication of a given situation or a reflection of
that situation.
Health Indicator is a variable, susceptible to direct measurement,that reflects the state of health of
persons in a community.
Indicators help to measure the extent to which the objectives and targets of a programme are being
attained.
Health Index is a numerical indication of the health of a given population derived from a specified
composite formula.

WHO defines Indicators as “variables which measure change”.

Uses of Indicators of Health

• Measurement of the health of the community.

• Description of the health of the community.

• Comparison of the health of different communities.

• Identification of health needs and prioritizing them.

• Concurrent evaluation and terminal evaluation of health services.

• Planning and allocation of health resources.

• Measurement of health successes.

Characteristics of Indicators

Valid -They should actually measure what they are supposed to measure

Reliable -The answers should be the same if measured by different people in

similarcircumstances

Sensitive -They should be sensitive to changes in the situation concerned

Specific -They should reflect changes only in the situation concerned

Feasible -They should have the ability to obtain data needed

Relevant -They should contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of interest

Health indicator examples[edit]

*This is not a comprehensive list of health indicators.
Health status[edit]
 Life expectancy at birth[4]
o Number of years a newborn is expected to live based on current mortality
trends.[5]
 Infant mortality rate[4]
o Number of infant deaths (children under 1 year) per 1,000 live births in a
year.[5]
 Neonatal mortality rate[4]
o Number of newborn deaths (children under 28 days) per 1,000 births in a
year.[5]
 Maternal mortality ratio[6]
o Number of women who die due to pregnancy or birth complications per
100,000 births in a year.[5]
 Mortality from cardiovascular diseases[6]
 Cancer incidence[6]
 Diabetes incidence[6]
 Depression incidence[6]
 Disability adjusted life years (DALY)
o A measurement of premature death or lower quality of life due to
disability.[5]
 Activities of daily living (ADL)
o A measurement of ability to self-sustain based on ability to perform daily
activities such as dressing, feeding, and grooming.[7]
Risk factors[edit]
 Alcohol consumption[4]
 Smoking in adults[4]
 Physical exercise habits[4]
 Condom use[6]
 Obesity rate[6]
 Asthma rate[6]
 High blood pressure rate[6]
 Air pollution levels[6]
 Exclusive breastfeeding rate[6]
o Number of mothers who only feed their infants breast milk for the first 6
months of life per a unit of measurement.[5]
 Child stunting rate[6]
o Number of children who have a low height for their age (more than two
standard deviations below the international reference) due to poor
nutrition per a unit of measurement.[5]
 Child wasting rate[6]
o Number of children who have a low weight for their height (more than two
standard deviations below the international reference) due to poor
nutrition per a unit of measurement.[5]
Health systems[edit]
 Healthcare coverage[4]
o Number of people with some type of health care coverage/insurance per
unit of measurement.[4]
 Hospital beds per capita[4]
  Doctors per capita[4]
 Nurses per capita[4]
 Hospital readmission rates[6]
 Health expenditure as percentage of GDP[6]
o Percentage of a nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) used toward
healthcare.[6]
 People with HIV aware of their status[6]
 Breast cancer screening rate[6]
 Birth registration rate[6]
o Number of people with a government- verified birth certificate per unit of
measurement.[6]
 Death registration rate[6]
o Number of people with a government- verified death certificate per unit of
measurement.[6]

Applications[edit]
Health indicators are commonly used to make large-scale or community health-related decisions.
[8]
By describing the current health of a population, the areas that need improvement become
evident, and policy-makers and health professionals can work to fill these gaps.[8][3] Once
interventions are put in place to try to improve the health of a population, health indicators can
then be used to evaluate the success of the intervention.[3]

Additionally, health indicators can highlight health disparities in a population.[3] Differences in

health indicators among genders, races, ethnic groups, socioeconomic classes, and other groups
can be used to guide policy and interventions that will bring health equity in the future.[3]

Health indicators are used by many institutions, including international organizations such as
the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO).[9][10] They are also used by smaller-
scale community health organizations, hospitals, and other medical and public health
organizations such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Institute of
Health (NIH), The African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP), and Global Alliance
for Africa.[10][11]