Spatial Implications of Different Mortality Standardization Schemes

Ronald E. Cossman, Mississippi State University
Jeralynn S. Cossman, Mississippi State University
Troy Blanchard, Mississippi State University
Wesley James, Mississippi State University
Carol Campbell, Mississippi State University

The spatial patterns of morbidity and mortality interest researchers for obvious reasons. At-risk populations may be spatially clustered, “place” (either social or physical) may play an important role and the spatial concentration of the population can facilitate intervention. However, these spatial patterns are dependent on the way in which the data are transformed and standardized. We compare and contrast the rates, and spatial patterns, that result from using different standardizations for age, sex and race of county-level mortality rates. The spatial patterns differ radically, based on the standardizations to which the data are subjected. Additionally, we examine the contextual impacts of demographic variables even after the data are standardized. Preliminary results indicate that various standardizations of mortality rates lead to substantially diverse clusters of healthy and unhealthy locations.