380.701.11
Accessing Demographic and Population Health Data
Location
East Baltimore
Term
Summer Institute
Department
Population, Family and Reproductive Health
Credit(s)
2
Academic Year
2025 - 2026
Instruction Method
In-person
Auditors Allowed
No
Available to Undergraduate
Yes
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Resources
Do you want to quickly and easily generate demographic and population health indicators without relying on traditional statistical software?
This class will provide students with the knowledge and tools to easily access and use two widely used online platforms (CDC Wonder and IPUMS) so that they can generate descriptive demographic and public health data needed to inform programs and policy.
Provides students with the skills and tools needed to access and use publicly available datasets that are commonly used in demographic and population health research. Introduces online databases and provides instruction on how to use online data analysis platforms to generate commonly used population health indicators quickly and easily. Features two online databases: 1) CDC Wonder: an online database published by CDC that includes data on all deaths and births in the United States; and 2) IPUMS: an online database platform that contains data from over 750 censuses and surveys from around the world.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Identify sources of online data to calculate common population health indicators, including birth rates and cause-specific mortality rates
- Generate descriptive demographic and population health indicators for different time periods, populations, or geographic regions using online platforms
- Apply survey weights, data filters, and control variables when analyzing survey data through online platforms
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
- 20% Participation
- 50% Lab Assignments
- 30% Written Assignment(s)