[Mortality indicators in a small community]

The death rates have been much used in Public Health thanks to the ease in obtaining them. But our Primary Health Care Teams encounter the obstacle of a low denominator in that the populations of the basic health areas are small and the rates appear unstable. This means that they are often not produced in those cases where the calculation might be of use. We present our experience in the calculation of these indicators for the community of San Matías de Taco on Tenerife Island. It is a small township in very deteriorated surroundings and with very low socio-economic conditions. The death rates, which we have calculated, and the life expectancy show clearly the existence of a community with a health level much below that of the province as a whole. We have resorted to the use of a few large age groups and to the calculation of mean values over long periods of time. We Believe that methodology employed may be useful in Health care Centres.