Data suppression strategies used during surveillance data release by sexually transmitted disease prevention programs

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigates the data suppression or statistical disclosure limitation (DL) practices used during surveillance data Release by sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention programs.

Methods: We classified DL strategies from a Web-based data query system that collected data from state health departments. We tested mean STD incidence Rates in states that used data suppression versus those that did not.

Results: Five types of DL were identified: no suppression (n = 15), numerator-only (n = 10), denominator-only (n = 6), demographic-only (n = 7), and mixed strategies (n = 12). Twenty-two states (62%) used data suppression strategies differently through time. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis Rates were higher in the nonsuppression states than those of the suppression states (P = .03, P = .008, P = .009, Respectively).

Conclusions: Cell suppression is the preferred method of DL used by STD prevention programs. More Research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy as a means of balancing the public health utility of the data tables and the protection of confidentiality.