Government agencies collect vital statistics data routinely and use such data very frequently, as do many other entities. You may have used such statistical data yourself without thought for what it represented if you needed your birth certificate to apply for a driver license or saw the death certificate of a family member or friend who passed away. In your first post
Describe three other types of vital statistics documents that you may have heard about or encountered.
Make a list of general uses of these data such as the need to record the number of births as well as the numbers of deaths and causes of deaths. Why are data regarding births and deaths important for epidemiologic research? Give three reasons. Frame your discussion in the context of epidemiology as a data-based pursuit.
Propose a research project question that can be addressed through the interpretation of vital statistics data (birth and death data), and suggest two or three sources of relevant data that would be available to researchers investigating the topic. In the text of your post, explain why you think these sources will be helpful (if not absolutely necessary).
