Tropical epidemiology: a system for continuous demographic monitoring of a study population.

Journal article

Epidemiologists in many developing countries, where official demographic services are unavailable, have to include some demographic functions in their work. The usual method of documenting a study population for epidemiological research in a developing country consists of three stages: mapping, enumeration and vital registration. This paper considers the last element of this process, detailing the development of a suitable data system and explaining how its implementation using microcomputers and a database management system can help in the creation of an on-line continuous vital registration system for a study population as an epidemiological tool. The issues covered are data collection, entry and analysis, and the advantages of such a system for use in epidemiological research in developing countries are also discussed.

Authors: Stephens, J; Alonso, P; Byass, P; Snow, R

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Methods of information in medicine
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 155-159
• Publication date: 1989-07-01
• ISSN: 0026-1270
• Language: English
• Keywords: Population Surveillance; Data Collection; Online Systems; Tropical Medicine; Database Management Systems; Microcomputers; Time Factors; Vital Statistics; Epidemiologic Methods; Africa, Western; Information Systems