Reflection on modern methods: statistical, policy and ethical implications of using age-standardized health indicators to quantify inequities.

ABSTRACT: Methods for calculating health indicators profoundly influence understanding of and action on population health and inequities. Age-standardization can be useful and is commonly applied to account for differences in age structures when comparing health indicators across groups. Age-standardized rates have well-acknowledged limitations, including that they are relative indices for comparison, and not accurate measures of actual rates where the age structures of groups diverge. This paper explores these limitations, and demonstrates alternative approaches through a case study quantifying mortality rates within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) population of Australia and inequities compared with the non-Indigenous population, over 2001-16. Applying the Australian Standar

SUBMITTER: Thurber KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8855998 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature