| 
- What agencies compile KWIC data?
- What types of data are included in KWIC?
- What could contribute to different data
reports having different figures?
- Are all indicators directly representative
of the population's behavior?
- What timeframe is used for KWIC indicators?
- How often are data updated?
- Why are some indicators presented as three-year
averages?
- What data can be used for comparison purposes?
more...
1. What agencies compile KWIC data?
KWIC data are generated by New York State agencies. To date,
the New York State Council on Children and Families collects
data from the following member agencies: Department of Health,
Department of Labor, Division of Criminal Justice Services,
Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Office of Children
and Family Services, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance,
and State Education Department.
2. What types of data are included in
KWIC?
KWIC data include vital statistics, administrative data, survey,
and census data. KWIC presents aggregate data (the total number
of occurrences within a geographic area), not individual data.
3. What could contribute to different
data reports having different figures?
Different reporting mechanisms can use different sources of
data that influence the “who, what, when, and how”
data are collected. Here are two examples: poverty data are
generated from numerous sample surveys or census where sampling
methodology (who is included and who is excluded) impacts
the findings; and some indicators are continuously updated
(e.g., SPARCS data) where the numbers and rates accessed at
different dates may reflect different findings.
4. Are all indicators directly representative
of the population’s behavior?
Indicators using vital statistics data are considered representative
of the population while community indicators are not necessarily
direct measures of the population’s behavior but may
be measures of the community service systems. Policy shifts,
resource fluctuations, degree of centralization and standardization,
local reporting practices and local service delivery differences
affect indicator data. Other factors in the community–including
availability, affordability and quality of service–may
also affect indicator data. Local qualitative information
regarding the role of the indicator in the context of its
service setting must be obtained and applied when interpreting
the results of indicator-based studies. For example, the youth
arrest rate for driving while intoxicated is a direct measure
of a law enforcement response to youth alcohol and other drug
(AOD) use and is an indirect measure of your AOD use in the
population.
5. What timeframe is used for KWIC indicators?
The timeframe (e.g., base year, current year) for the majority
of indicators in KWIC is the annual calendar year, January
1 through December 31. However, there are two exceptions:
(1) the State Education Department generally collects data
for the school year, July 1 through June 30 and (2) the rates
for indicators with relatively rare events in many counties
are presented as three-year averages. Three-year averaging
is necessary to improve the reliability (or stability) of
the data.
6. How often are data updated?
The indicator data in KWIC are computed annually. Since different
indicators become available at different times of the year,
there is no one time for updating. Indicators will be updated
annually as they become available.
7. Why are some indicators presented
as three-year averages?
For indicators with relatively rare events in many counties,
rates are presented as three-year averages. This is necessary
to improve the stability of the data because rates are sensitive
to variations in the size of both the numerator (the number
of occurrences) and the denominator (the estimated population
who could experience the occurrence) in small counties. The
number is determined by adding the three year numbers and
dividing by three. The mid-year population estimate is used
as the denominator.
8. What data can be used for comparison
purposes?
Rates provide a standardized means of comparing the prevalence
of an indicator over time and across different geographical
areas, e.g., counties and states. (Numbers do not.) Rates
are computed by dividing the number of occurrences by the
total population who could experience the occurrence, then
multiplied by a standardizing multiplied, commonly 1,000,
10,000, or 100,000. These rates are reported as per 1,000;
per 10,000; and per 100,000, respectively. Rates calculated
in this manner are called crude rates and have not taken into
consideration possible differences in population characteristics.
|
