What does ASMR stand for?
| Full form | Age-Specific Mortality Rate |
|---|---|
| Category | Health & medicine |
| Type | Initialism |
The initialism ASMR stands for Age-Specific Mortality Rate in some mortality research, including Cheng and colleagues’ 2019 study. This rate concerns a specified age group rather than an age-standardised summary across groups.
Read the definition in the source: ONS uses ASMR for Age-Standardised Mortality Rate, while the cited study uses the letters for Age-Specific Mortality Rate. An age-group calculation needs the deaths and population for that group, the stated period and denominator unit. Counts alone are not rates. Our small exercise uses an invented fixed group over one declared example period and expresses its rate per 100,000 people; it does not reproduce a statistical office’s full method or estimate a personal risk.
Meaning in context
- Age-Specific
- Restricted to the stated age group, unlike an age-standardised summary.
- Mortality Rate
- A death count related to the group’s population and stated period/unit.
Practical examples
Turn a count into a stated rate
- Before
There are 3 deaths in the fictional group, so its rate is 3.
- After
For an invented fixed group of 1,000 people over the declared example period, 3 ÷ 1,000 × 100,000 = 300 deaths per 100,000 people for that period.
The original example supplies the denominator and unit missing from the count. These numbers describe no real population or individual.
Match the group
- Before
Use deaths in one age group and the entire population as the denominator for an age-specific rate.
- After
Use the population corresponding to the stated age group and period, according to the source’s method.
Mismatched groups answer a different question. A rate calculation does not itself explain why deaths occurred.
Original illustrative examples, not quotations or reports of actual events.
Use ASMR with clarity
How do I avoid confusing an age-group death count with an age-specific rate or a standardised summary?
See all guidance
Read the abbreviation
Check the full expansion and method in this particular source.
Here the rate is Age-Specific, not Age-Standardised.
Read the denominator
Match the group and period used by the rate definition.
Which population belongs to this stated age group?
Practise the arithmetic
Declare the rate unit and a matching invented fixed-group count.
A count of 3 needs a denominator before it becomes a rate.
The fixed-group arithmetic is illustrative. Use the actual statistical source’s definitions for real data; this result estimates no individual risk or cause.
Help improve this entry
Spot a mistake or have a clearer example? Suggest a change.
By AcronymIndex Editorial Team · Editorial policy