MedlinePlus defines health statistics as "numbers about some aspect of health. Statistics about births, deaths, marriages, and divorces are sometimes called "vital statistics." Researchers use statistics to see patterns of diseases in groups of people. This can help in figuring out who is at risk for certain diseases, finding ways to control diseases and deciding which diseases should be studied."
For more complex statistical analyses on a particular health topic, enter detailed search terms into one of the following databases:
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This link opens in a new windowProvides broad content coverage including 50 nursing specialties, speech and language pathology, nutrition, general health and medicine and more.
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This link opens in a new windowComprises more than 37 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Be sure to use this link to see full-text options available through Madigan Library.
Market and consumer data and all things statistics. Downloadable data, numbers, and facts in various formats on various topics and industries.
For example, you are writing a report on the magnitude of the diabetes epidemic in the United States. Below are some examples of possible search terms:
Be sure to verify that the resource you find is a reliable one. If possible, find the original source of the data, rather than quoting a secondary source, to ensure accuracy and currency, and to avoid misinterpretation.
