Concerning large sample tests and confidence intervals for mortality rates

Extract

In reference(1), some large sample significance tests and confidence intervals for mortality rates were presented. These results appear to be valid for the usual type of insurance data. Also, for an ordinary mortality study, application of a test or confidence interval does not require much additional work. This paper presents a review of reference (1) along with a discussion of the concepts involved. More extensive tables of significance tests and confidence intervals are included in this paper.

To apply the results of (1), the data must be subdivided according to the first letter of the surname of the person insured. According to present practice, such information is not recorded for a mortality study. Since this recording requires little extra effort at the initial stage of an investigation, however, such information could easily be incorporated into future mortality studies.