RATES, RATIOS AND

VITAL STATISTICS
Overview of Session
- The students are introduced to
the application of Biostatistics
in Public health

Objectives
- At the end of the session, the
student should be able to define
rates and ratios and compute for
the different health statistics
as applied in Public health.
 Rates and Ratios

• RATIO
- also called a proportion is the
quotient of two numbers
- A good example is number of deaths
per population

• RATE
- is a ratio involving a time period.
- The count or measurement is observed
over a period and then divided by its
base or population of observation.
 Incidence Rate and Prevalence rate
INCIDENCE RATE
- measures the frequency of occurrence of
the phenomenon during a given period of
time.
- Deals only with NEW cases.

PREVALENCE RATE
- measures the proportion of the population
which exhibits a particular disease at a
particular time.
- This can only be determined following a
survey of the population concerned.
- Deals with total (old and new) number of
cases
 Concepts of Incidence
• Also known as attack rate, case,
sickness rate morbidity rate
• It refers to newly discovered cases
of a particular disease
• It answers the question “how
frequent do cases of a particular
disease occur during a given period
of time”
• Used when dealing with a acute
conditions and accidents
 Concepts of Prevalence
• It refers to the newly discovered and
old cases of a particular disease
over a population
• Used when dealing with chronic
conditions and disabilities
• It answers the question “what
proportion of the group or population
is actually ill with a particular
disease at a point in time.
• Usually determined by means of survey
 CBR and CDR
CRUDE BIRTH RATE (CBR)
• This is rough of the fertility of the
population
• The rate is called crude for the following
reasons
• Only live births are counted
• The denominator is the total population which
includes children, old people and males
• The rate is expressed in population unit of
1000 to make the figures meaningful

CRUDES DEATH RATE (CDR)

• This is a measure of the risk of dying from
all causes in a population
 MMR and IMR
MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE (MMR)
• Measure the risk of dying due to the
process of pregnancy, childbirth and
puerperium.
• It also measures the adequacy of
maternal health services

INFANT MORTALITY RATE (IMR)

• Measures the risk of dying due to
infancy (under 1 year of age)
• deaths under 1 year of age/ number
of live births x 1000
 NMR,FDR and PNR
NEONATAL MORTALITY RATE
• Measures the risk of dying in the first four weeks of
life of the infant (newborn)
• The number of children dying under 28 days of age
divided by the number of live births that year
• (Number of infant death / number of life birth) X
1000

FETAL DEATH RATE

• Measures the risk of dying before birth

PERI-NATAL MORTALITY RATE

• The word means around the period of birth (a month or
more before births and one month after birth)
• Measures the loss of life in later pregnancy and
early infancy.
 Fertility Rates
• Crude Birth rate =
number of live births
Mid year Population
X 1000

• General Fertility Rate =

Number of live births
Midyear population of women
X 1000
15-44 years of age
 Mortality Rate

• Crude Death rate =

number of death
X 1000
Mid year Population

• Specific Mortality rate =

number of death in a
specified group
X 1000
Midyear population of the
same specified group
 Mortality Rate
• Cause-of-Death Rate
number of deaths from a
specified cause
Midyear population X 1000

• Infant Mortality Rate

Deaths under one year of age
Number of live births X 1000
 Mortality Rate
• Maternal Mortality rate=

number of deaths due to pregnancy,

delivery and puerperium
Number of live births X 1000
• Proportionate Mortality rate=

number of deaths from a

particular cause
Total Deaths X 100
 Mortality Rate
• Swaroop’s Index=
Number of deaths among those
50 years and over
Total Deaths X 100

• Case Fatality rate=

Number of Deaths from a
specified cause
Number of Cases of the same disease
X 100
 Morbidity Rates

• Incidence Rate =
number of new cases of disease
developing from a period of time
X 100
Population at risk of developing the
Disease

• Prevalence Rate=
number of Old and new
cases of a disease
X 100
Population examined
THANK YOU FOR
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