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Average age at first occurrence as an alternative occurrence parameter in epidemiology
1Department of Public Health and Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands.
International Journal of Epidemiology
|August 1, 1997
Summary
For common diseases, average age at first occurrence offers a more interpretable measure than incidence rates. This study demonstrates its application in occupational health, suggesting software development for broader use.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Occupational Health
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Traditional epidemiological measures like incidence rates and ratios can be difficult to interpret for common diseases.
- The complexity arises when disease occurrence is high, limiting the practical application of standard metrics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the utility of average age at first occurrence as an alternative epidemiological measure.
- To assess the interpretability and application of this measure, particularly for prevalent conditions.
Main Methods:
- The study discusses methodologies for analyzing average age at first occurrence.
- These methods are applied to a real-world case study involving occupation and disability pension data.
Main Results:
- Analysis using average age at first occurrence estimated that crane drivers receive disability pensions approximately 0.8 times the age of maintenance workers.
- Confidence intervals varied based on the specific analytical method employed, highlighting the need for methodological consideration.
Conclusions:
- Average age at first occurrence provides a more intuitive metric than incidence rates when dealing with highly prevalent diseases.
- The study advocates for the development of accessible software packages to facilitate the wider adoption and application of this measure in epidemiological research.