M3 Mortality Data Paper - Essay Example

M3 Mortality Data Paper Task M3 Mortality Data Paper Mortality data refers to the collective information on death rates and death trends in a population. It assesses the causes and incidences of death and their severity. It also gives data on unlikely and unexpected trends necessary for future planning and research. Mortality data contains crucial information on population characteristics. Data on age, gender and death causes of deceased persons is beneficial to researchers in assessing public health (McKenzie, Pinger, & Kotecki, 2012).

Mortality data collected over a long period is useful when comparing changes across time and space. It helps to determine the competence of health facilities, the efficiency of drugs used by specific patients and the effects of lifestyle habits on health (Shi, 2008).  Mortality data is limited because it cannot accurately determine future death trends. Socio-economic factors, socio-political factors, lifestyle habits, natural calamities, and migration influence the value of the data since these factors are significant especially when authorities manipulate them.

Therefore, mortality data is limited in the mode of collection and interpretation. Most deaths go unreported, especially those that do not occur in health institutions. Consequently, deaths that do not occur in hospitals are rarely investigated. This may result in wrong recording and interpretation of recorded data (McKenzie et al., 2012). Additionally, recording of death in the health departments may lead to multiple records, thus distorting the figures. Relationship with Person, Time and Place Descriptive research attempts to explore the health problem extensively through the analysis of mortality data.

 In understanding the problem, descriptive research engages the three elements of time, place and person in integrative ways and relates findings with emerging phenomena. It appraises the regularity and pattern of the three elements as they influence public health (McKenzie et al., 2012). It also evaluates the circumstances defining a person by assessing the social patterns causing ill health and mortality. Place implies the geographic locality and its features that are likely to influence health.

By studying a place, epidemiologists assess the incidences of diseases and the causation factors in the environment (Shi, 2008). Place may imply the environmental surroundings such as school, workplace, and the population density of an area. In evaluation of “person,” factors of social status, age, education levels, gender and access to health services are assessed.  The research also evaluates personal habits such as smoking and drug abuse; furthermore, occupational and lifestyle trends that may affect a person’s health are equally critical (Shi, 2008).

Time implies the yearly recurrence of events. It may also appraise the correlation linking a person and time. For instance, a person visiting a crime prone area is at risk for the entire time he stays in that place. The association linking “place, time and person” shows a detailed description of certain health risks. It is used to develop solutions to certain health risks.Oral Cancer According to the Oral Cancer Foundation (2011), the deaths arising from oral cancer will be close to 8,000 this year.

This means that the number will have changed minimally compared to other regions. Additionally, 40,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease, meaning that the prevalence rate will rise. Indeed, time, person and place are primary measures in assessing the prevalence, mortality and survival rates of people. Studies on oral cancer reveal the interconnected relationship of place and time as the key factors contributing to infection. Geographic specificity in America shows a compelling rationale in the analysis of risk and geographical relations, meaning that the magnitude of risk is dependent on the region (Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), 2011).

Additionally, studies reveal that socio-economic factors influence the likelihood of infections (Bunnel et al., 2012). Even though oral cancer incidences have increased globally, the rates have decreased steadily in United States. However, the decrease has not been uniform in specific demographic fragments of the population as non-whites and youths have recorded higher incidences of oral cancer. This can be attributed to increased use of tobacco and alcohol products by these sections of the population.

Tobacco products expose the oral cavities to carcinogenic compounds that cause oral cancer. Additionally, oral cancer has increased more sharply in females than in males over the last 20 years (Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), 2011).ConclusionThe mortality data on oral cancer indicates that prevalence has reduced amongst the whites in the last two decades. The correlations among data reveal that social acceptance, joblessness and availability of tobacco and alcohol products to the minorities enhance their mortality.

ReferencesBunnell , A. Pettit, N. Reddout, N. Sharma, K. O’Malley, S. Chino, M., & Kingsley, K. (2012). Analysis of primary risk factors for oral cancer from select US states with increasing rates. Retrieved from http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.com/content/8/1/5.McKenzie, J. F., Pinger, R. R., & Kotecki, J. E. (2012). An introduction to community health. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.Oral Cancer Foundation. (2011). Descriptive epidemiology. Retrieved from http://www.oralcancerfoundation.

org/cdc/cdc_chapter1.htm. Shi, L. (2008). Health services research methods. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson/Delmar Learning.