[Practical use of mortality statistics and mass examination results by health workers in the local authority of the community].

ABSTRACT

In Kochi prefecture, the prefectural health service bureau tabulates both mortality statistics and mass examination results for each community and the tabulated report is sent annually to public health services staff in each local authority. While recognizing its limitations, methods of how to use the annual report are demonstrated. For example comparison of the mortality statistics and the mass examination results of the male population of A town, which is administered by Susaki Health Center, to that of the combined male population of all the towns administered by the health center shows that although the mortality rate for cerebrovascular disease for the A town-male population had been much higher than that of the combined male population in the early 1980's, the difference disappeared in the late 1980's. On the other hand, prevalence of systolic hypertension in the A town-male population continued to be higher than that for the combined male population in the late 1980's. Therefore hypertension prevention programs appears to still have significance in the A town-male population. Certain weaknesses exist in this annual report. In the comparison of mass examination results among different populations, the presence of selection bias of those receiving examinations should be considered. Standardization of mass examination procedures and quality controls of the examinations should also be considered. To get health workers to utilize the annual report further, the reported items should be improved. Particularly useful would be tabulation by residential subdivision and occupation.