Health Statistics   Tags: health, indicators, nursing, statistics  

Use the sources in this Research Guide to find current as well as historic statistics on health indicators--vital, demographic, environmental, disease, and outcome.

START with the U.S. Statistics or States Statistics page

• Use U.S.  Statistics for government and organization health statistics to find national, state, and local data
• Use State & County Statistics for specific States, for NY State health statistics as well as Nassau and Suffolk county data

What is the incidence of asthma in New York? How does the infant mortality rate of Texas compare to the rate in New Jersey? What are the indicators for HIV by age? What are the national figures on breast cancer? What are the 3 leading causes of death in the United States? Do they differ between males and females? 

To find the answers and to develop new questions health professionals use statistics that are collected over a period of time within a certain demographic group.

The fields of nursing, medicine, health education, and government policy often require access to health statistics. They can help us understand the distribution of health conditions and resources, diagnoses, predictors, and efficacy of procedures. They determine medical need, research areas, and determine appropriation of funds. The findings are used to establish correlations, conditions, care, and consequences of services, or lack of services.  

Statistics collected reflect who is collecting the data and why the study is being conducted. 

Click below for presentation on understanding a Community Assessment. (Expand for full-screen viewing)

Washington Journal segment: "How we Measure America's Health"

Click expander to watch full screen. Stop playing using controls below video.