About Health Statistics

United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

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Examples of Uses

Health Statistics help identify:

Factors that promote wellness or create risks for health. Example: the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Behavioral, genetic, physical and communicable threats that contribute to illness—thereby helping scientists to better understand the etiology of disease. Example: HIV/AIDS Surveillance Reports
The causes of death, conditions of birth and the incidence and prevalence of morbidity—the conditions that threaten health.

Mortality Table
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Morbidity table
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The incidence of specific conditions that are “reportable” because they require a public health response [such as sexually transmitted or other infectious conditions]

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The need for activities to counter threats to population health—such as the infectious agents, environmental factors and patterns of behavior—like smoking that can be controlled or responded to with public health measures. And
Health care providers’ responses to disease and activities that promote health. As such, health statistics provide information on the care provided, the diagnoses and procedures involved, the cost of care and its outcome.

These and other similar topics help promote health and also provide an indicator of societal progress, and national strength

Last reviewed: 03 January 2008
Last updated: 03 January 2008
First published: 03 January 2008
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