Canadian Health Information Management Association Practice Exam

Which statistical measure is often used to evaluate health disparities across different populations?

1. Mean age of onset.

2. Life expectancy.

3. Health care costs.

4. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

The correct answer is: Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

The measure of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) is particularly valuable for evaluating health disparities across different populations because it combines both the years of life lost due to premature mortality and the years lived with disability. This dual focus means that DALYs provide a comprehensive picture of the overall burden of disease within a population, making it easier to identify significant gaps in health outcomes related to social, economic, or environmental factors. By incorporating both mortality and morbidity, DALYs enable comparisons between various demographic groups, exposing inequities in health that might not be evident when only considering mortality rates alone. This makes DALYs an effective tool for public health officials and policymakers aiming to address and reduce health disparities. In contrast, mean age of onset focuses strictly on when an illness begins, which may not provide sufficient context about the severity or broader implications of health status across populations. Life expectancy measures the average length of life in a population but does not offer insight into the quality of that life or different health conditions experienced. Health care costs provide important economic data but do not directly measure health outcomes or disparities related to health status itself.