kansanterveystilastoihin

Kansanterveystilastoihin refers to the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data on the health of a population. In Finnish practice, kansanterveystilastot cover indicators such as mortality and life expectancy, causes of death, morbidity, disability, health risks, health behaviors, and the use of health services. They serve as a basis for public health surveillance, policy making, and research, and are used to track trends over time and to compare different population groups.

In Finland, kansanterveystilastot are produced by Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) in collaboration with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Data come from multiple sources, including national registers (for mortality, births, diseases, and cancer), health-care utilization records (hospital admissions, outpatient visits), vaccination registries, and population health surveys such as the Health Survey of Finland. Data are commonly linked in anonymized form to support analyses by age, sex, region, and socioeconomic status, while upholding privacy and data protection requirements.

Common indicators within kansanterveystilastoihin include life expectancy at birth, age-standardized mortality rates, infant mortality, prevalence and incidence of major diseases, vaccination coverage, and indicators of health behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and obesity. The statistics inform policy evaluation, program design, and international comparisons (for example via Eurostat, the WHO, and OECD).

Limitations can arise from reporting delays, registration gaps, changes in coding systems (such as ICD revisions), and regional or demographic coverage differences. Access to the data is typically through official statistics portals, with anonymized outputs widely available; more detailed microdata require appropriate permissions and ethical approvals.