Increase of discriminatory ability of health indicators (general mortality rate ana infantile mortality rate)

Abstract

A study was made to demonstrate the increase of the discriminative power of two sanitary rates which are most easily calculated in all areas of the world: the general mortality rate and the infantile mortality rate. The manner to obtain this increase of discriminatory power consists in calculating the difference between the infantile mortality rate and the general mortality rate. Statistically analysed and taking into consideration data from developed countries and those undergoing development during the same period, as well as throughout different periods, this difference was more discriminatory than any of the two separately and when used together with one or both, the power of discrimination is increased significantly.