title: The INDEPTH standard population for low- and middle-income countries, 2013.
abstract: Crude rates such as the crude death rate are functions of both the age-specific rates and the age composition of a population. However, differences in the age structure between two populations or two time periods can result in specious differences in the corresponding crude rates making direct comparisons between populations or across time inappropriate. Therefore, when comparing crude rates between populations, it is desirable to eliminate or minimize the influence of age composition. This task is accomplished by using a standard age structure yielding an age-standardized rate. This paper proposes an updated International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH) standard for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) based on newly available data from the health and demographic surveillance system site members of the INDEPTH network located throughout Africa and southern Asia. The updated INDEPTH standard should better reflect the age structure of LMICs and result in more accurate health indicators and demographic rates. We demonstrate use of the new INDEPTH standard along with several existing 'world' standards and show how resulting age-standardized crude deaths rates differ when using the various standard age compositions.
authors.affiliation: INDEPTH Network, Accra, Ghana; School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Faculty of Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam; osman.sankoh@indepth-network.org.
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sankoh
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharrow
authors.affiliation: Africa Centre, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kobus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herbst
authors.affiliation: MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Chodziwadziwa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whiteson Kabudula
authors.affiliation: AMK HDSS, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Nurul
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Ballabgarh HDSS, Ballabgarh, India.
authors.forename: Shashi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kant
authors.affiliation: Bandim HDSS, Bissau, Guinea Bissau.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ravn
authors.affiliation: Chakaria HDSS, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhuiya
authors.affiliation: Chililab HDSS, Chililab, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thi Vui
authors.affiliation: Dikgale HDSS, Polokwane, South Africa.
authors.forename: Timotheus
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Darikwa
authors.affiliation: Dodowa HDSS, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gyapong
authors.affiliation: Farafanni HDSS, Farafanni, The Gambia.
authors.forename: Momodou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jasseh
authors.affiliation: Filabavi HDS, Filabavi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chuc Thi Kim
authors.affiliation: Ifakara HDSS, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.affiliation: Karonga HDSS, Karonga, Malawi.
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crampin
authors.affiliation: Kilifi HDSS, Kilifi, Kenya.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ojal
authors.affiliation: Kintampo HDSS, Kintampo, Ghana.
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Owusu-Agyei
authors.affiliation: Kisumu HDSS, Kisumu, Kenya.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Odhiambo
authors.affiliation: Magu HDSS, Magu, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urassa
authors.affiliation: Matlab HDSS, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Streatfield
authors.affiliation: Mbita HDSS, Mbita, Kenya.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.affiliation: Manhica HDSS, Manhica, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Charfudin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sacoor
authors.affiliation: Nairobi HDSS, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Donatien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beguy
authors.affiliation: Nanoro HDSS, Nanoro, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Derra
authors.affiliation: Navrongo HDSS, Navrongo, Ghana.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wak
authors.affiliation: Niakhar HDSS, Niakhar, Senegal; LPED, IRD/Aix-Marseille Université, Aix-Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Delaunay
authors.affiliation: Nouna HDSS, Nouna, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sie
authors.affiliation: Ouagadougou HDSS, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Abdramane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soura
authors.affiliation: Oubritenga HDSS, Oubritenga, Burkina Faso, PATH, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Diadier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.affiliation: Purworejo HDSS, Purworejo, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Siswanto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilopo
authors.affiliation: Rufiji HDSS, Rufiji, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Honorati
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masanja
authors.affiliation: Taabo HDSS, Taabo, Cote d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: Bassirou
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonfoh
authors.affiliation: Wosera HDSS, Wosera, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Suparat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phuanukoonnon
authors.affiliation: INDEPTH Network, Accra, Ghana; School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; University of Washington, Seattle, USA; MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; ALPHA Network, London, UK.
authors.forename: Samuel J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D011153:Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: age-specific mortality rate; age-standardized crude death rate; crude death rate; demography; low- and middle-income countries; standardized age structure