Reference Standard Population Lookup
Identify a widely used reference standard population by name, origin and typical application so that users can pair it with their own published age weights when direct-standardizing rates.
Description
Identify a widely used reference standard population by name, origin and typical application so that users can pair it with their own published age weights when direct-standardizing rates.
Identify a widely used reference standard population by name, origin and typical application so that users can pair it with their own published age weights when direct-standardizing rates.1
When to use Reference Standard Population Lookup
Use standardization to compare populations with different age compositions after aligning age-specific rates and standard weights exactly.
- Standard
- Reference standard population of interest.
How the method works
- Name
- Full conventional name of the standard.
- Origin
- Documented origin of the standard distribution.
- Primary use
- Typical application of this standard.
Limitations and assumptions
The standardized result is a weighted summary, not an observed crude rate. It changes with the reference population, and incompatible age bands or rate denominators invalidate the comparison.
Alternative or Complementary measures
Report crude and age-specific rates alongside the standardized value, and repeat the calculation with another accepted standard population when comparisons could depend on the chosen weights.
References
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Age adjustment — Wikipedia contributors
Similar or alternative tools
- Age Standardized Prevalence Weighted
Compute the age-standardized prevalence as the standard-weight weighted average of age-specific prevalences, sum(w_i * p_i) / sum(w_i).
- Direct Standardized Rate SDR
Compute the directly age-standardized rate as the standard-population-weighted average of age-specific rates, SDR = sum(m_i * W_i) / sum(W_i).
- Indirect Standardized SMR
Apply indirect standardization: compute expected deaths from standard age-specific rates and study exposure, divide observed by expected deaths for the SMR, and multiply that ratio by the standard population's crude rate to obtain an indirectly standardized rate.