A mortality indicator among the following is:

Appeared in: AIIMS BHOPAL NO- 2018( Shift-2nd)

Explanation

Life expectancy at birth is a key mortality indicator used to assess the overall health of a population.
It is defined as the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if current age-specific mortality rates remain constant throughout their life.
Its direct calculation from death rates makes it a pure measure of mortality, unlike other indicators that measure illness or disability.
An increase in life expectancy signifies a decrease in mortality rates and is a global indicator of socio-economic development.

Option A: This is a morbidity indicator, not a mortality indicator. It measures the total number of existing cases (both old and new) of a disease in a population at a specific point in time.
Option C: This is a morbidity indicator. It measures the rate of new cases of a disease occurring in a population over a specific period, indicating the risk of contracting the disease.
Option D: This is a disability indicator, which measures the impact of ill-health on a person's ability to function (e.g., DALYs, HALE). It quantifies the loss of health, not the occurrence of death.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Classification of Health Indicators as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses, especially in community health, use these indicators to understand the health status of populations, identify high-risk groups, and plan effective health interventions.
These metrics are crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of public health programs and for allocating resources where they are most needed.
What if? If a community shows a high prevalence of diabetes (morbidity) but a low life expectancy (mortality), nurses would focus on both chronic disease management to improve quality of life and on investigating the causes of premature death, which might be related to complications of diabetes or other factors.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept in the question, which is 'mortality indicator'.
Recall the definition of mortality: it relates to death or death rates.
Analyze each option based on its definition:
'Prevalence rate' and 'Incidence rate' relate to the frequency of disease (morbidity).
'Disability rate' relates to loss of function due to disease.
'Life expectancy' is the average length of life, which is directly calculated from death rates.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart A (pp 26-201 of 604) p. 10-12

Practise the full AIIMS BHOPAL NO- 2018( Shift-2nd)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.