When to Standardise and How
1.5 hours
In a presentation followed by a practical exercise, guide students to understand what standardisation is, why it is important in population health studies and how to do it.
Outcomes
By the end of the session, students can:
- Explain why standardisation is important.
- Perform standardisation.
Preparation
Develop a lecture based on concrete examples of research to illustrate the key concepts related to standardisation. (Step 1)
Prepare the practical exercise. (Step 2)
Instructional materials:
- Preston, S., Houseline, P. & Guillot, M. (2001) Demography: Measuring and Modeling Population Processes, Malden MA: Blackwell, pp. 21-28.
Further reading:
- Palmore, J.A., & Gardner, R.W. (1994) Measuring Mortality, Fertility and Natural Increase: A Self-Teaching Guide to Elementary Measures, 4th Edition, Honolulu: East-West Center, pp. 9-34.
- Hennekens and Buring. (1987). Epidemiology in Medicine. Pp 70-73; 85-86.
- Ahmad, O.B., Boschi-Pinto, C., Lopez, A.D., Murray, C.J.L., Lozano, R., Inoue, M.
- (2001). Age standardization of rates: A new WHO standard. GPE Discussion Paper Series: No.31.
- Ezeh, A.C., and Dodoo, F.N. (2002). Institutional Change and the African Fertility Transition: The Case of Kenya. African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) Working Paper No. 25
Steps
| Time | Step | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | 1. Present key concepts and examples | Facilitator |
| 1 hour | 2. Practice the steps | Individuals |
Step 1. Present key concepts and examples
30 minutes
The student presents an aspect of their research project to members of their pre-assigned WIP group of peers and facilitators. The chair introduces the presenter and ensures that s/he stops at 15 minutes.
Step 2. Practice the steps
30 minutes
Through this practical exercise making use of Excel, students gain:
- An overview of crude death rate (CDR), age specific death rates (ASDR),
- An appreciation of the importance and limitations of each of the concepts.
