Demography: general fertility rate: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Demography: general fertility rate

Sample item

A town of 100,000 people recorded 1,500 live births in a year. There were 30,000 women aged 15 to 49 years. What are the crude birth rate and the general fertility rate?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Crude birth rate 15 and general fertility rate 50 per 1000

The crude birth rate is live births per 1000 mid-year population: 1500 / 100,000 x 1000 = 15. The general fertility rate is live births per 1000 women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years): 1500 / 30,000 x 1000 = 50. The general fertility rate is more specific since it excludes men, children and older women from the denominator.

Option by option

  • A. Crude birth rate 15 and general fertility rate 15 per 1000

    The general fertility rate uses women of reproductive age as the denominator, so it does not equal the crude rate.

  • B. Crude birth rate 15 and general fertility rate 50 per 1000 (correct)

    Births divided by total population gives 15, and births divided by women aged 15 to 49 gives 50.

  • C. Crude birth rate 30 and general fertility rate 50 per 1000

    A crude birth rate of 30 would need 3,000 births in this population.

  • D. Crude birth rate 50 and general fertility rate 15 per 1000

    These values are swapped between the two rates.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is B, Crude birth rate 15 and general fertility rate 50 per 1000. The crude birth rate is live births per 1000 mid-year population: 1500 / 100,000 x 1000 = 15.

Why is "Crude birth rate 15 and general fertility rate 15 per 1000" not the answer?

The general fertility rate uses women of reproductive age as the denominator, so it does not equal the crude rate.

Why is "Crude birth rate 30 and general fertility rate 50 per 1000" not the answer?

A crude birth rate of 30 would need 3,000 births in this population.

Why is "Crude birth rate 50 and general fertility rate 15 per 1000" not the answer?

These values are swapped between the two rates.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Demography: general fertility rate in PSM. The general fertility rate is live births per 1000 women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years): 1500 / 30,000 x 1000 = 50. The general fertility rate is more specific since it excludes men, children and older women from the denominator.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Demography: general fertility rate?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.