Investigation of health statistics capability and needs of epidemiology-related professionals in primary-level centers for disease control and prevention in China, 2024

Objective To understand the health statistics capability and needs of epidemiology-related professionals in primary-level centers for disease control and prevention (CDCs) in China and provide evidence for the improvement of statistical capability building in CDCs at primary level in China.

Methods A stratified multistage cluster sampling survey was conducted in epidemiology-related professionals in county/districtCDCs of China in 2024. A self-designed questionnaire was distributed through the Epidemiological Dynamic Data Collection Platform of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Categorical data were described by using frequencies and percentages.

Results A total of 9 647 epidemiology-related professionals in 408 county/district CDCs were surveyed. The male-to-female ratio of them was 1∶1.71, and most study participants had bachelor’s degree and medical backgrounds other than epidemiology. The average mastery rates in data description and cleaning, statistical testing, and correlation and regression analysis were 28.88%, 18.97%, and 11.88%, respectively. The proficiency of software use was relatively higher for Excel (69.56%), SPSS (36.41%) and EpiData (38.43%). Overall, 71.10% of the study participants reported that they need training in health statistics, especially in “basic statistical methods” (49.45%). Additionally, 86.82% of them expressed needs for intelligent statistical tools, especially for those used for automatic generation of narrative reports (84.39%), charts and graphs (84.34%), and distribution maps (83.44%). Needs varied by region and urban–rural setting: the professionals in eastern China and urban areas showed greater demand for advanced methods and intelligent tools, whereas those in western China and rural areas paid more attention to basic statistical description.

Conclusion In 2024, health statistical knowledge awareness and software use proficiency of epidemiology-related professionals in primary-level CDCs in China remained insufficient, while the demand for training in health statistics and intelligent statistical analysis tools was high. Differentiated training policies should be developed according to regional and urban-rural disparities, greater support should be provided to primary-level CDCs in central and western China and rural areas, and intelligent statistical analysis tools should be developed and promoted.