It is not appropriate to use such data to make judgments about the performance of individual programs or services since the indicator values are affected by multiple variables. Indicator data are compiled primarily from national surveys, national and state vital statistics, and published reports. For some indicators, data are not available from published sources and were obtained by special request from the source agencies.
Many factors affect the availability and quality of indicator data, especially at the county level.
Some indicators are not currently available at the county level as a result of the data collection methodology. For example, county level data on youth tobacco use are derived from a national survey of middle and high school students, and because of the method by which schools within West Virginia are selected for the survey, it is necessary to withhold information that would reveal the identity of a particular county, school, or class of students. It is important that users of this site understand the significance and meaning of the indicator data. Specific definitions of each indicator are provided, as are the agencies from which data have been obtained. In some cases, specific reports or document titles from which data have been obtained are cited.