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WISQARS NVDRS Practice Questions

WISQARS NVDRS is a query system that provides researchers, decision makers, media, and the general public with easy access to detailed information on violent deaths.

If you are a first-time WISQARS NVDRS user, please take time to answer the following practice questions to familiarize yourself with the system’s various options and outputs. Check your results against our answers below. For all practice questions, use the Abstracter Assigned Mode of Determining a Manner or Cause of Death.

Please contact CDC-INFO with questions about the WISQARS NVDRS module. (Media are welcome to contact our CDC Injury Center Media Line at 770-488-4902.)


Practice Question #1

Determine the number of homicides for males in all 16 NVDRS states combined for the year 2006, and sort the results by race. What is the number of homicides for black males?

The output may look like this:

2006, 16 NVDRS States: AK, CO, GA, KY, MD, MA, NJ, NM, NC, OK, OR, RI, SC, UT, VA, WI
All Victims Death Counts and Rates per 100,000, Abstracter Assigned Mode
Homicide, All Mechanisms
All Races, Males, All Ages

 

Number of Deaths

Population

Crude Rate

Age-Adjusted
Rate**

White

1,194

30,869,727

3.87

3.80

Black

1,882

5,971,133

31.52

28.97

Am Indian/AK Native

65

558,806

11.63

11.09

Asian/Pac Islander

50

1,407,499

3.55

3.56

Unknown/Other

42

-

-

-

TOTAL

3,233

38,807,165

8.33

8.08


The correct answer is: 1,882



Practice Question #2

Determine the number of homicides where the victim was a spouse or other intimate partner of the suspect for all 16 NVDRS states combined for the year 2006. What was the number of hanging/suffocation homicides obtained using this query?

The output may look like this:

2006, 16 NVDRS States: AK, CO, GA, KY, MD, MA, NJ, NM, NC, OK, OR, RI, SC, UT, VA, WI
All Victims Death Counts and Rates per 100,000, Abstracter Assigned Mode
Homicide, Spouse/Intimate Partner, Hanging/Suffocation
All Races, Both Sexes, All Ages

Number of Deaths

Population

Crude Rate

Age-Adjusted
Rate**

25

78,957,260

0.03

0.03


The correct answer is: 25



Practice Question #3

Assess the circumstances of death for females ages 25-44 years who committed suicide, for all 16 NVDRS states combined for the year 2006. What percentage of females who died of suicide with known circumstance information had “a crisis in the past two weeks?”

The output may look like this:

2006, 16 NVDRS States: AK, CO, GA, KY, MD, MA, NJ, NM, NC, OK, OR, RI, SC, UT, VA, WI
Death Counts by Circumstances of Death, Abstracter Assigned Mode
Suicide Circumstances, All Mechanisms
All Races, Females, Ages 25 to 44

Circumstance

Death Counts

Percentage

All Persons with Known Circumstances

610

100.00

Current Depressed Mode

286

46.89

Current Mental Health Problem

384

62.95

Current treatment for mental illness

334

54.75

Ever Treated for Mental Problem

371

60.82

Person left a suicide note

231

37.87

Disclosed intent to commit suicide

186

30.49

History of Suicide Attempts

232

38.03

Crisis in past 2 weeks

183

30.00

Intimate partner problem

235

38.52

Other relationship problem

87

14.26

Physical health problem

99

16.23

Alcohol Dependence

112

18.36

Other Substance Problem

160

26.23

Recent criminal legal problem

36

5.90

Other legal problems

38

6.23

Job problem

43

7.05

Financial problem

60

9.84

School problem

1

0.16

Suicide of friend or family in past five years

15

2.46

Other death of friend or family

27

4.43

Perpetrator of interpersonal violence past month

9

1.48

Victim of interpersonal violence past month

12

1.97


* Note: Victims can have one or more circumstances; therefore, subcategories may not sum to all known circumstances.

The correct answer is: 30%



Practice Question #4

Assess the circumstances for suicide victims who were suspected of a recent homicide, for the state of Colorado from 2004-2006. What was the number of deaths that occurred in a house or apartment (including driveway, porch, or yard)?

The output may look like this:

2006, 2005, 2004, NVDRS States: CO
Suicide Victims Suspected of a Recent Homicide - Death counts by Circumstances of Deaths Place of Injury, Abstracter Assigned Mode
Suicide: Homicide followed by Suicide, All Mechanisms
All Races, Both Sexes, All Ages

Place of Injury

Death Counts

Percentage

All

41

100.00

House, apartment, including driveway, porch, yard

31

75.61

Residential institution, including shelter, prison

1

2.44

Transport area: public highway, street or road

1

2.44

Transport area: other, including inside motor vehicle

2

4.88

Commercial area (non-recreational), including medical service area, farm, industrial or construction area

2

4.88

Natural area/countryside

1

2.44

Other specified place, including school, sports or athletics area

3

7.32


The correct answer is: 31

 

 

Content Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Office of Statistics and Programming
Page last modified:November 18, 2008