Population Characteristics
What are population characteristics?
Recent U.S. Census Bureau data show that an estimated 24.7% of African Americans, 23.2% of Latino Americans, 11.8% of Asian/Pacific Islander Americans and 8.6% of Non-Hispanic whites are living in poverty.
The characteristics of a population can help determine the possible impact of health problems and the trends and patterns of disease over space and time. Some population characteristics include:
- sex
- age
- race and ethnicity
- socioeconomic factors, such as poverty
These characteristics may be related to the number of new and existing cases of a particular disease. Socioeconomic factors, such as education, occupation, and income may affect the overall health of a person. Research has shown that people with limited resources, such as money and health insurance, may have more poor health outcomes at birth and throughout their lives.
Population Resources
Click on one of the following links to learn more about population characteristics:
Indicators Available on the Tracking Network
The Tracking Network uses U.S. Census Bureau databases to obtain state and local data about population characteristics. These data are based on whole groups (populations), rather than individual members of a particular group. Therefore individual factors and genetics, which are components of health risk factors, are not part of these data.
Click on an indicator to read more about it:
Population and the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network
The Tracking Network is measuring population characteristics in a standard way over time to:
- better understand the factors that influence environmental exposures and human health across the United States
- track the impact of public health policies aimed at lessening the environmental burden on various populations