Notice to Readers New Population Standard for Age-Adjusting Death Rates
On August 26, 1998, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) adopted a
policy to begin using a single new population standard for age-adjusting death rates. The
new standard, which will be effective for deaths occurring in 1999, is based on the 2000
U.S. population.
Since 1943, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and state health
departments have used a population standard based on the 1940 U.S. population for
age-adjusting death rates. However, at least three different standards are used by federal
and state agencies. Use of a single age-adjustment standard by federal agencies will help
alleviate confusion and misunderstanding among data users and the news media.
In 1991 and 1997, NCHS sponsored workshops to examine issues associated with age
standardization of death rates. The first workshop examined technical issues and problems
related to the calculation and interpretation of age-adjusted death rates (1). The second
workshop focused on policy issues related to a coordinated approach to age standardization
within DHHS (2). Workshop participants concluded that although compelling technical
reasons existed to change population standards, the public health community would be
better served by a new, uniform, and more contemporary standard. The reports of both
workshops are available on the World-Wide Web at
http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/products/pubs/pubd/series/sr4/pre-21/pre- 21.htm.
Age-adjusted death rates calculated before implementation of the 2000 standard will not
be comparable with rates based on the new standard. In addition, mortality time series at
all geographic levels will have to be recomputed. Long-range goals (e.g., national health
objectives for 2000) will have to be recalibrated in terms of age-adjusted death rates.
Use of the 2000 standard will result in rates that are often substantially higher than
those based on the 1940 standard. The new standard also will affect trends in age-adjusted
death rates for certain causes of death and will narrow race differentials in age-adjusted
death rates. The NCHS report on these changes (3) is available on the World-Wide Web,
http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/products/pubs/pubd/nvsr/47-pre/47-pre.htm .
The decision by DHHS to adopt a uniform policy to age-adjust death rates represents a
major change in statistical practice that has implications for federal, state, and local
health programs. The adoption of a uniform standard will reduce the burden on state and
local health departments to produce multiple time series to match federal statistical
benchmarks. In addition, the adoption of a current population standard will improve the
usefulness of health statistics issued by DHHS.
References
Feinleib M, Zarate AO, eds. Reconsidering age adjustment procedures: Workshop
proceedings. Hyattsville, Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service, CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, 1992 (Vital and Health
Statistics, vol 4, no. 29).
Anderson RN, Rosenberg HM. Report of the second workshop on age adjustment. Hyattsville,
Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, National Center for Health
Statistics, 1998 (Vital and Health Statistics, vol 2, no. 30).
Anderson RN, Rosenberg HM. Age standardization of death rates: implementation of the
year 2000 standard. Hyattsville, Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services,
CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, 1998. (National vital statistics reports, vol
47 no. 3).
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