2a. Preparing Individual-Level Event Data

The second step of any RSTbx workflow is to prepare your event data. For individual- level event data, this means aggregating the data to the region or (region-age group combination) and joining that data with the population table we acquired earlier.

Luckly, the Individual Data Processor can do both of those things for us!

Requirements

Event Table

Individual-level event tables should be formated to have one record (aka row) for each event that occured. If crude-rates are needed, only one column is truly necessary within table: the region identifier. It would look something like:

GEOID
01001
01001
01003
…
72149
72149
72149

If you would like to produce age-adjusted rates, an additional age column is necessary. Like this:

GEOID Age
01001 23
01001 58
01003 4
… …
72149 87
72149 65
72149 56

(Also see mi_mort_indiv)

Population Table

See 1. Acquiring Population Data - Population Tables

Boundary File

See 1. Acquiring Population Data - Boundary File

Usage

Producing crude rates

In order to create our crude rates, we will need an un-stratified aggregate event and population table. Let’s create one using the non-age stratified population table in data.gdb (mi_pop) and the simulated individual-level event data in data.gdb (mi_mort_indiv).

If you haven’t already, set up the Rate Stabilizing Toolbox.

  1. Open up the Catalog Pane.

  2. Right click on Databases, select Add Database, and navigate to where you have downloaded and extracted the RSTbx and find data.gdb.

  3. Within the data.gdb, right click on MI_carto, MI_mort_indiv, and MI_pop, and Add to Current Map.

  4. Open the Individual Data Processor

  5. Set the following parameters and Run:

    Age Stratified: Unchecked
    Input Individual Data: mi_event_indiv
    Input Individual Data Fields:

    • Region ID: GEOID

    Input Population Data: MI_pop
    Input Population Data Fields:

    • Region ID: GEOID
    • Population Count: PopulationCount

    Input Feature: mi_carto
    Input Feature Fields:

    • Region ID: GEOID

    Output Table: mi_joined_event_pop

Producing age-adjusted rates

In order to create our age-adjusted rates, we will need a stratified aggregate event and population table. Let’s create one using the age stratified population table in data.gdb (mi_pop_grouped) and the simulated individual-level event data in data.gdb (mi_mort_indiv).

  1. Returning back to the Individual Data Processor, set the following parameters and Run:

    Age Stratified: Checked
    Input Individual Data: mi_event_indiv
    Input Individual Data Fields:

    • Region ID: GEOID
    • Age: Age

    Input Population Data: MI_pop_strat
    Input Population Data Fields:

    • Region ID: GEOID
    • Population Count: PopulationCount
    • Age Group: AgeGroup

    Input Feature: mi_carto
    Input Feature Fields:

    • Region ID: GEOID

    Output Table: mi_joined_event_pop_strat

We have seen how the Individual Data Processor can be used to prepare population data, but now we have to actually produce rates. If you are interested in using individual, record level event data, consider moving on to 3. Producing Stabilized Rates. If you are interested in using aggregate event data, consider also taking a look at 2b. Preparing Aggregate Event Data.