Center for Health Statistics

The Portal for Comprehensive Health Data in Texas

Contents

What are age-adjusted rates?

Most disease rates vary by the population age. To compare rates between two areas or two time periods, differences in the age structure of the population may introduce apparent differences in the rates. To account for differences in age structure, the rates can be adjusted by applying age-specific rates to a "standard" population. See Age Adjustment for additional details.
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How are the race/ethnicity categories determined?

 

 

In Texas, there are four large race/ethnicity categories in common use: non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, and other. Several different methods are used to convert self-reported race and ethnicity responses into these four categories. One of the differences among methods is the categorization of Hispanic blacks. For population data, the Texas State Data Center includes Hispanic blacks in the Hispanic category. For Texas birth and death data, Hispanic blacks are included in the black category. (The impact of this difference is limited since less than 1% of Texas Hispanics indicated that they are black in the 2000 Census.) The problem is further complicated because the 2000 Census allowed respondents to mark more than one racial category. See the Texas State Data Center's report Comparing Race/Ethnicity Between the 2000 Census and Earlier Censuses (external site) for further information.
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Where can I get the "morbidity rate" for my area?

 

 

The term "morbidity" refers to the presence of illness of any kind. Morbidity is usually measured as an incidence rate or prevalence rate of a particular disease rather than an overall morbidity rate. Some diseases like cancer and HIV/AIDS are required to be reported to public health authorities. Other diseases like influenza have no reporting requirements. For some of the non-reportable diseases, we get estimates of the rates from active surveillance programs or special research studies. See TDH Disease (Morbidity) Data Sources for links to TDH disease rate data.
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How can I get a copy of a birth or death certificate?

 

 

You can order a copy of a birth or death certificate from the Bureau of Vital Statistics by regular mail, by overnight mail, by fax, or in-person at various locations throughout the state. See Ordering Birth or Death Certificates for details.
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What's the difference between population projections and estimates?

 

 

Population estimates are generated for current and past years based on numerous factors including births, deaths, school enrollment, voter registration, vehicle registration, and housing unit data. Population projections (currently 2008 & beyond) are generated for future years based on fertility, mortality and migration trends. Once released, population estimates are unlikely to change; projections for Texas, however, are updated biennially as more accurate data become available. See information at the Texas State Data Center (external site) for details.
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How can I get ranked data?

 

 

Ranked health data by Texas county is available in our report County Ranking by Selected Demographic and Public Health Measures. You can also download or cut-and-paste the data tables on our web site into a spreadsheet or database and sort the data as desired. For rare events or small populations, however, care should be exercised interpreting ranked data due to large possible statistical variation in the values.
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Why are some public health regions in Texas sometimes combined?

 

 

There are 11 public health regions but 8 regional offices. Health statistics are usually summarized for each of the 11 public health regions but some programs summarize data for the 8 administrative regions. See Texas County Numbers and Public Health Regions for details.
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What's the difference between county numbers and county FIPS codes?

 

 

Texas counties have both a county number and a county FIPS code. The county number is a sequential number from 1 to 254. The county FIPS code is assigned by the US Census Bureau and consists of the state FIPS code (48) followed by a three digit number for each county. See Texas County Numbers and Public Health Regions for details.
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How are rural/urban area classifications determined?

There are numerous rural/urban classification systems available. Some have two classes (rural and urban), others have a spectrum of values representing degrees of rural character or urban influence. Some are based on counties, others on census tract or ZIP code. The Washington State Department of Health has a good summary of commonly used rural/urban classification systems (external site).
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