Standardized mortality ratio

Standardized Mortality Ratio

The Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) is a quantitative measure used in epidemiology to compare the mortality rate of a specific population to a standard or reference population. It is often used in public health and medical research to identify potential health disparities and to guide interventions.

Pronunciation

Standardized: /ˈstandərˌdīzd/ Mortality: /mɔːrˈtalɪti/ Ratio: /ˈrāSHēˌō/

Etymology

The term "Standardized Mortality Ratio" is derived from the English language. "Standardized" comes from the word "standard", which refers to something used as a measure, norm, or model in comparative evaluations. "Mortality" is derived from the Latin word "mortalitas", meaning "death". "Ratio" comes from the Latin word "ratio", meaning "reason" or "calculation".

Definition

The Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) is a ratio between the observed number of deaths in an study population and the number of deaths that would be expected, based on the age- and sex-specific rates in a standard population. It is used to determine if the mortality rate in a population is higher or lower than would be expected.

Calculation

The SMR is calculated by dividing the number of observed deaths in the study population by the number of expected deaths in the standard population. The result is then multiplied by 100. An SMR of 100 indicates that the mortality rate in the study population is equal to that of the standard population. An SMR greater than 100 indicates a higher mortality rate, while an SMR less than 100 indicates a lower mortality rate.

Related Terms

• Mortality Rate
• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Medical Research
• Health Disparities

See Also

• Age Standardization
• Crude Death Rate
• Indirect Standardization
• Direct Standardization

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Standardized mortality ratio
• Wikipedia's article - Standardized mortality ratio

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