How can the various indicators of health, available through vital statistics, government publications, private surveys and other sources, be measured? This and other questions are brought to light in James Larson's important study of concepts in the health measurement of individuals and populations. This book is intended to provide a backdrop for future research into determining health care needs, while allowing for more efficient allocation of scarce resources by planners and administrators.

The first chapter defines health by using five models, the two major ones being the medical and...