1. The following data give some of the descriptive epidemiology of gastroschisis in the state of Massachusetts. Gastroschisis is a rare birth defect that is characterized by a herniation of the abdominal wall. Its treatment is surgical repair.
   1. Based on the data, briefly describe each of the following using words and numbers:
      1. The change in prevalence from 200 to 2009
      2. The trend in prevalence by maternal age
      3. The difference in prevalence between Blacks and Whites
      4. The difference in prevalence by gender
   2. Data such as these are used to generate hypotheses about the causes of disease. Using any information in the tables, briefly describe a hypothesis that might explain one of these descriptive features.
   3. Data such as these are also used by public health administrators and planners to establish priorities, allocate resources, and plan and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and prevention programs. Briefly describe how these data might be used to allocate resources of the prevention and treatment of gastroschisis.

of Massachu the abdominal wall. Its treatment re Number and Prevalence of Gastroschisis by Year of Birth-Massachusetts, 1999-2009 Prevalence (per 10,000 live births) Year 2.09 2000-2001 2.43 2002-2003 3.09 2004-2005 2006-2007 3.60 2008-2009 3.29 Data from Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention. Surveillance Reports 1999-2009. http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/family-health/birth-defect/monitoring/surveillance-reports.html. Accessed October 2017. Prevalence of Gastroschisis (per 10,000 Live Births) by Maternal Age and Race and Child's Sex-Massachusetts, 2011-2012 Maternal age (years) Maternal race Child's sex