Demographic Characteristics
Demographics are the classifiable characteristics of a given population.
Demographic characteristics most commonly used in public health statistics include:
Other demographic characteristics include:
- Age
- Gender
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Geographic Area
Other demographic characteristics include:
- Disability status
- Educational attainment level
- Employment status
- Income level
- Marital status
- Natality (native- or foreign-born)
- Veteran status
Analysis of public health data by demographic characteristics is essential
to the reduction and elimination of health disparities. The
Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000
describes health disparities as differences in "the overall rate of disease
incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, or survival rates in the population
as compared to the health status of the general population." The definition can
be applied to any demographic group, not just racial/ethnic minorities.
Analysis by demographic characteristics also shows at what age certain diseases
and conditions typically affect persons as well as how life events, choices, and
circumstances (e.g., marriage, military service, and educational attainment)
affect health outcomes.
Certain demographic groups have consistently better outcomes than others on a variety
of public health issues. For example, infant mortality among whites is a fraction of
that among blacks and the death rate due to unintentional injury among women is about
half that of men.
Demographic characteristics are tracked in most public health data sets including, but not limited to: