Why should I use 2000 vs. 1940 Age-adjusted standards?
Age-adjusted rates are used when you want to do comparisons. For example, you may want to compare your rate to another county’s rate or to the state rate where the age structures of the two populations may be different. To compare the rates between these areas, you need to use the same standard population. Currently, the most commonly used standard is the 2000 US Standard population. However, you should always check to make sure the age-adjusted rates you are using for the comparison is based on the same standard. (Some cancer data is age adjusted to the 1970 US population.) If you use the 1940 US population as your standard but another county uses the 2000 US population, then these age-adjusted rates cannot be compared. Because the population has changed since 1940 it makes sense to update the standard population that everyone should use in order to draw comparisons. In 1999, the US Standard population changed to a projected year 2000 age distribution. This population distribution is
