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1963 Washington County Census
In 1963, a non-official census of Washington County was undertaken under the sponsorship of the National Cancer Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, the Washington County Health Department and the Maryland State Department of Health. This census was to provide baseline information about the population of the county for use in health-related studies. It was estimated that 98% of the Washington County households were enumerated in the census (n=91,909 participants).
Baseline information was collected on all participants except for those noted below. Data include demographic information (sex, race, marital status, education, religion, and relationship to household head), characteristics of the housing unit (age of the dwelling, building materials water and heating sources) and smoking information.
For those who were younger than 16.5 years of age in 1963, data on smoking, marital status and the housing variables are not available. In addition, other data may be missing for individuals. There are approximately 2,217 persons with missing age, sex and/or race.
Deaths of census participants were ascertained between 1963 and 1975. Death certificate data were abstracted and include data of death, marital status, place of death and a maximum of nine coded causes of death. In addition, two additional variables were created: 1. a smoking summary (derived from the four smoking variables) and 2. a housing summary (derived from the five household variables) which can be used as a relative measure of housing adequacy.
Although the census data were collected uniformly, the death certificate information was accumulated over time from several different sources. As a result the coding of the cause(s) of death may not be consistent. To account for this, Dr. Comstock reviewed all death certificates and an additional underlying cause was coded.
All causes of death were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, Version 7 (ICD-7).
It is possible to create ecological variables to characterize an individual’s housing unit. For example, the enumeration district of each participant’s dwelling has been characterized as urban, suburban, small town, or rural. Water hardness for some enumeration districts is also available.
1963 Census Questionnaire
1975 Washington County Census
In 1975, a second census was carried out in Washington County. It covers much of the same data collected in 1963 with additional questions on working status, previous cancer diagnosis and housing. Items about religion were not asked. For persons who were younger than 18 years of age, data on employment status, smoking, disability, driver’s license and cancer were not obtained. A total of 90,225 persons, an estimated 90% of the population, were enumerated.
Beginning in 1948, cancer diagnoses were abstracted from Washington County Hospital discharge records and from death certificates of Washington County residents received from the State Health Department. Until 1968, records from the Western Maryland Medical Center and from the Veterans Administration Hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia were also abstracted and added to the registry. Records of out-of-state deaths were obtained until 1987. Diagnoses were coded using the International Classification of Diseases, Version 8 (ICD-8). A maximum of four cancer diagnoses were coded. Any history of cancer reported in the medical record was also recorded. Note that any cancer that is often treated on an outpatient basis is probably under-represented in these data. Both the ICD-8 code and the year of diagnosis are available.
1975 Census Questionnaire
Variables for the 1963 1975 Censuses
George Comstock, MD, DrPH, Principle Investigator
gcomstoc@jhsph.edu
301-791-3230
Sandra Hoffman, MA, MPH, Contact Person
(301) 797-7677
shoffman@jhsph.edu
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