Introduction to Epidemiology 6th Edition by Ray M Merrill

Exercise 1

Refer to the following estimated statistics for the United States and Malaysia in 2005.

United States

Crude mortality rate = 800 per 100,000

Crude mortality rate = 14 per 1,000

Life expectancy = 77.7 years

Malaysia

Crude mortality rate = 500 per 100,000

Crude mortality rate = 23 per 1,000

Life expectancy = 72.2 years

Can the lower crude death rate in Malaysia be explained by the fact that the United States has a larger population? What factors could explain differences in birth rates and life expectancy?

Step 1 of 4

The crude mortality rate is the number of deaths that occur in a particular period of time scaled to a population. The birth rate can be defined as the number of births in a particular period of time scaled to a population. The life expectancy can be defined as the average period of time an individual or organism lives.