Glossary

back to top

Biologically Implausible Value (BIV)

A data value falling outside the range considered biologically plausible (generally +/- 4 standard deviations). Example: the BIV for the PNSS field Hematocrit-Postpartum Visit is <24.0% or >51.0%.  Such values are rarely observed and are excluded from analysis. The BIV cut-offs selected for the individual indicators were based on review of PedNSS and PNSS data and external data sources.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

back to top

Certificate

Client – (data processing term)

Client-server System – (data processing term)

C                            Contributor Use Fields

PedNSS and PNSS fields that can be used for codes that are unique to and defined by the individual contributor, after consultation with CDC. 

PedNSS and PNSS fields that are considered extremely important for maternal and child monitoring. If missing, they will not affect record acceptance by CDC, but will result in exclusion from some or all tables in annual national and contributor reports.

PedNSS and PNSS fields that must be reported and that will result in records being rejected if data in the field are missing or mis-coded.

Inconsistencies in the data between two or more specific fields on the PedNSS or PNSS.

A report generation tool, marketed by Seagate Software, that interfaces to Microsoft Visual Basic and SQL Server.

back to top

The process of transforming data from an encoded form back to its original form.

Summary of the frequencies of the values or categories of a variable.

back to top

Process during which the CDC computer software finds errors in the submitted data.

Criteria used by the edit process to check the accuracy of the submitted data.

The process of transforming data from its original form to an encoded form in order to prevent those other than intended recipient from reading the data.

Early Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment service is Medicaid’s comprehensive and preventive child health program for individuals under the age of 21.

back to top

An individual data item on the PedNSS or PNSS record.

A dedicated gateway machine with special security precautions on it, used to service outside networks, especially Internet connections and dial-in lines. Used to protect a cluster of more loosely administered machines hidden behind it from unauthorized access.

Infant who is born 37 weeks of more from the last menstrual period.

back to top

A computer system for analyzing and mapping geographically referenced information.  GIS analyses of PedNSS and PNSS data are possible by referencing state and county Federal Information Processing (FIPS) codes on contributor PedNSS/PNSS code files, and/or zip code.

The use of pictures in addition to words to represent the input and output of a computer program. In addition to accepting input from the keyboard, the program displays certain icons, buttons, dialogue boxes, etc, in its “windows” on the screen and the user controls it mainly by moving a “pointer (aka mouse)” on the screen and selecting certain objects by pressing buttons on the mouse while the pointer is pointing at them.

back to top

An indicator of the health status for a population. Examples include low birthweight, overweight, etc.

The volume fraction of packed red blood cells in whole blood. A hematology test used  to establish whether a woman or child is anemic.

The amount of oxygen-carrying pigment of the red blood cells per deciliter of whole blood in grams. A hematology test used  to establish whether a woman or child is anemic.

A weight of larger than 4,000 grams (8.8 pounds) at birth.

back to top

The occurrence of new cases of a disease or other events.

A worldwide connection of interconnected computer networks.

back to top

back to top

Mis-codes

back to top

The new set of data items for the PedNSS and PNSS established by CDC in 2004. Adoption of the new items by PedNSS and PNSS contributors is encouraged, especially at junctures when contributor computer information systems are upgraded.

The continuous collection, analysis, and use of data relating to the nutrition and health status of population groups.

back to top

Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System.

The percent of individuals in a population who's measurements are below that of a given measurement. For example, the child's BMI-for-age being at the 80^th percentile means that 80% of children his age in the reference population have a BMI lower than his.

Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System.

Includes complete records, prenatal only records and postpartum only records. The type of PNSS record is designated in PNSS field, Completion Code.

After childbirth.

A woman's first clinic visit after delivery in which maternal, postpartum, and infant outcome information are collected. This information is used to establish a PNSS record for each individual woman.

Infant born alive before 37 weeks gestation.

Measures the proportion of individuals who have a given disease or other attribute at a given time.

A type of ratio in which the numerator is included in the denominator.  The ratio of a part to the whole, expressed as a “decimal fraction” (e.g., 0.2), as a fraction (1/5), or as a percentage (20%).

A set of formal rules describing how to transmit data, especially across a network.

back to top

Any one of four three-month periods in the PedNSS and PNSS calendar year: January– March; April – June; July – September.; October – December.

back to top

A set of fields containing information collected for a given woman or child which is stored in the computer information system.

Specifications detailing the layout (order, length, and positions) of fields in each record within a PedNSS or PNSS transaction file.

A method of organizing data that structures it into tables of records, or rows, each having the same fields, or columns. Permits flexibility in pre-defining relationships among data components or tables or dynamically defining relationships at the time records are retrieved.

Either 1) a computer generated table of statistics generated from a database, or 2) a narrative account or analysis of this information.

Probability of event. A woman with a health risk factor is more likely to suffer ill health than a woman without a risk factor.

back to top

 PedNSS records that contain information from a clinic visit when the child receives a standard health and nutrition screening or assessment (during which anthropometric, hematologic, and other nutrition-related measures are made and reported). This includes routine child health periodicity visits, and WIC certification visits.

The software, hardware, and databases used to provide private transfer of data to and from CDC via Internet by verifying the identity of clients and enforcing permissions.

A computer system or process which provides service to multiple programs (clients). The connection between client and server is normally by means of passing messages, often over a network, and uses some protocol to encode the client’s requests and the server’s responses. E.g., Microsoft SQL Server provides database management services to multiple client programs running on other computers in the network.

A relational database management software product from the Microsoft corporation used to store PedNSS and PNSS data at CDC.

A rate obtained for a particular population by averaging the sub-group specific rate for the population, using the distribution of a selected standard population as weights.  This “standardized” rate represents what the crude rate would have been in the study population if that population had the same demographic distribution as the standard population. Rates standardized to the same standard population can be appropriately compared and differences cannot be attributed to differential demographic distributions of the population.

Rate in which the numerator and denominator refer to the same subgroup of the population: for example, children aged 0-4 years (an age-specific rate), or boys ( a sex-specific rate) or boys aged 0-4 years ( an age- and sex-specific rate).

Fields that are considered important for maternal and child nutrition monitoring and which contributors are encouraged to submit. If missing they will not affect record acceptance by CDC, but will result in exclusion from some tables in annual national and contributor reports.

back to top

The data file containing PedNSS or PNSS records submitted to CDC by a contributor.

back to top

PedNSS records that contain information from a clinic visit when some anthropometric or hematologic measures are made or breastfeeding status is reassessed.

A data distribution of PedNSS or PNSS field codes or field code record volume that is markedly different that the national PedNSS or PNSS data distribution.

back to top

The degree to which an instrument measures what the evaluator wants it to measure. More formally, the extent of correspondence between a measure and its underlying variable.

Variance is a measure of the variability or dispersion in the distribution of measurements or scores.  For example, consider hemoglobin measurements on two separate groups of children.  The measurements in group A may be widely dispersed while the measurements in group B may be clustered around the central point.  In this case, the group A distribution would have greater variability or variance than group B.  In statistical terms, the variance is the mean of the squared deviations about the mean. Formulas for the calculation of variance can be found in any basic statistics text book. 

A programming language and development environment from Microsoft Corporation, used in the development of GUI  and client-server applications. Employed in the CDC PedNSS and PNSS software.

back to top

Indicates the number of standard deviations and individual score is above or below the median of the reference population distribution. Z-scores may be positive (above the median) or negative (below the median). It measures the degree to which an individual measure deviates from what is expected for that individual.