*** NOTICE OCMAP and MPDS USERS ***
MPDS detailed mortality and population data are now available for 2005. Please contact our office for more details or for information on how to order new or updated rates.
MPDS
Instructions for Submitting the MPDS Request Form
A request may be for death rates or for number of deaths and population at risk (i.e., numerator and denominator data), for their quotients (i.e., death rates), or for both. This is because MPDS is capable of producing counts data in the form of numerators and denominators or of combining them into death rates. Please note that NCHS restrictions do not permit us to provide detailed mortality or population data for counties of very small population size.
If numerators and denominators are requested output will be sent in two separate files: one file for the numerators and one for the denominators. Grouping or aggregating of the counts, or calculation of rates, can be done by the requestor using special programs designed to take input in the form of counts data. This option provides the most flexibility, but requires special analysis programs.
If rates are requested they can be sent in a file in such a format as to be able to interface directly with the OCMAP-Plus programs. This OCMAP interface format is normally the one chosen by requesters wanting to use the OCMAP program to analyze mortality data directly. This option is the most convenient, but requires default selection values to be chosen for the years of analysis, the race/sex breakdowns, and the age groupings.
Rates are also available in hard copy printed output format which includes standard errors, numbers of deaths and populations counts.
Selection Parameters
There are five selection parameters which need to be specified:A. Geographic Location
B. Years
C. Cause of Death (ICDA) Codes
D. Race/Sex Groups
E. Five-year Age Groups
Remember that if rates are requested, the default selection values for Years, Race/Sex Groups and Age Groups must be used.
There is a List of Restrictions and Exceptions for MPDS that displays anomalies in either the population or mortality data that make up the MPDS database. These should be reviewed prior to completion of the request form.
Defining the Selection Parameters
A. Geographic Location
The default selection is the total U.S. Other geographic selections can be at the state or county level, or aggregates of states and counties. Be sure to define each geographic aggregate on a separate line on the request form.
B. Years
The default selection is the years 1950-2005, broken down by 5 year time intervals. For numerator and denominator data requests, customized intervals may be specified, or individual years may be requested. However, time intervals requested must be mutually exclusive.
C. Cause of Death (ICDA) Codes
The default is all causes on a standard 63 cause list. This list, entitled "ICDA Elements of Default Cause of Death List -- 63 Causes" is enclosed. This default list includes considerable detail for both malignant and nonmalignant cause of death categories. The list shows the ICDA code numbers for the sixth through ninth revision, and it indicates which categories can be made comparable to either the sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth ICDA revision via comparability ratios published by the National Center for Health Statistics. This approach, wherein rates are adjusted to a specific or "base" revision of the ICDA, is appropriate for studies in which all the deaths being analyzed have been coded to that base revision. Rates adjusted to a base revision must use the standard 63 cause list.
The rates for the standard 63 cause list are also available in unadjusted form. Unadjusted rates are appropriate for studies in which the deaths being analyzed have all been coded to the revision of the ICDA that was in effect at the time of death.
To specify a breakdown of causes different from the standard 63 cause list, ICDA codes for each cause in the breakdown must be specified for each revision in the time period selected. This is because cause of death coding conventions often vary across revisions.
D. Race/Sex Groups
The default selection is white male (WM), non-white male (NWM), white female (WF) and non-white female (NWF). You may request fewer than all four. Non-white includes Black, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and "Race not Specified."
E. Five-year Age Groups
The default selection is five year intervals to 85+. For numerator and denominator requests, aggregations of these intervals are possible; however, all age groups in the population database are based on 5 year intervals.