Biostatistics and Epidemiology Class Baypath University_Week 4 Assignment

Week 4: Sources of Epidemiolgic Data

• WISQARS http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html (Links to an external site.) (Use Data VIsualization tool)
• SEER  http://seer.cancer.gov/  (Links to an external site.) (Use SEER*Explorer Application)
• BRFSS http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/ (Links to an external site.) (Use a tool in Prevalence Data & Data Analysis Tools)

DIRECTIONS

1. Select one of the systems above for your post.
2. Briefly describe the purpose of the system and how the data in the system is obtained.
3. Identify a disease or health issue of interest to you - then, query the system and generate a report/data related to this issue. You must be able to produce an original figure using the tools given on the website.
4. Summarize and explain in epidemiological terms, what you queried, and what your results indicate.
5. Include a graph or figure that you generated from the system.  

Student Objectives for the Week:

• Compare incidence and prevalence
• Define rates and risks

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2019), CDC’s WISQARS (Web-based injury statistics query and reporting system) is an online database that is interactive and provides information on fatal and nonfatal injuries, violent death, and cost of injury. The data obtained is from a variety of trusted sources, providing information on public health and the economic burden associated with unintentional and violence-related injury in the United States.   WISQARS can be used by several organizations, such as the media, public health professionals, the public, as well as researchers. Using this online data system will extend one’s knowledge of the most current public health issues.

        There are several ways data can be obtained using the CDC’s WISQARS. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2019), the WISQARS allows people to search, sort, and view data as well as create charts, reports, maps, and graphics. There is a multitude of information organizations can find using the interactive WISQARS, such as the intent of injuring, including the cause, body region of injury, type of injury, geographic location and sex, race/ethnicity, and age of the injured person. 

       According to the CDC (2019), more than seven people per hour die of violent deaths within the United States. Violent deaths resulting from homicide victims were more than 19,500, and over 47,000 people died from committing suicide in 2017, consequently requiring interventions to prevent these types of violent deaths. According to the CDC (2019), the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), provides detailed information regarding violent deaths and provides insight as to why they may have occurred. NVDRS is said to be the only state-based surveillance system, generating more than 600 data elements from different sources, into an anonymous database (CDC, 2019). According to the CDC (2019), “NVDRS covers all types of violent deaths – including homicides and suicides – in all settings for all age groups” (para.3).

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        Enlighten by this information using the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). I generated a report to determine all victims of suicide death counts and rates in the state of Massachusetts, using a firearm. The finding revealed the number of suicides deaths resulting from firearms within the state of MA to be 144 in a population of 6,859,819. The age-adjusted death rate, which, according to Segen’s Medical Dictionary (2020), is the value of death rates, determining the risk of dying relative to a standard population, was 1.89%. The age-adjusted death rate, according to Segen’s Medical Dictionary (2020), is more efficient than the crude death rate for comparing mortality of population groups with different age structures. In the inquiry of victim’s suicide death counts and rates in the state of Massachusetts, using a firearm, the crude rate was 2.10. 

References

Center for Disease Control. (2019). National violent death reporting (NVDRS). Retrieved from

          https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nvdr/index.html?CDC (Links to an external site.) AA

            refVal=https%3A%2F%www.cdc.gov%Fviolenceprevention%2Fnvdrs%2Findex.html

Segen’s Medical Dictionary. (2020). Age adjusted death rate. Retrieved from

            https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Age+Adjusted+Death+Rate