Definition
A count of the number of individuals who inhabit a predefined region. PRECEDE allows you to view the population count at various levels of granularity, including the census tract population, county population, and state population.
Context/Impact on Health
Most public health measures, such as the prevalence and incidence of a disease, are calculated using the total population or the total population at risk, respectively. Generally, population counts are included in the denominator of public health estimates to contextualize how common a disease is in a predetermined population, or how quickly a disease is spreading through a predetermined population. Moreover, population counts provide critical context to design professionals with regards to whether or not a region is growing or shrinking in population, and how much investment in public resources (e.g., park access, public transportation, bike shares) are needed in a specific area.
Data Collection Methodology
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey that collects information on the demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics of the US population. The ACS is an ongoing survey sent to 3.5 million addresses each year, which include households, and group living quarters, such as college dorms, prisons, and military barracks. Estimates for the total population count presented in PRECEDE are from the 2019 ACS.
