The Health of Youth

months, the work being continued for a sufficient time to obtain a record of illness for twelve consecutive months.3 Considering all illnesses (disabling and nondisabling) reported in these periodic canvasses, the least sickness occurred at 15-924 years, with an annual rate of 629 cases per 1,000 persons. This figure may be compared with 1,912 for infants and preschool children (under 5), 845 for the school ages (5-14 years), 797 for adult ages (,5-44 years), 785 for middle aged persons (45-64 years), and 979 for persons above 65 years (Fig. 1). If the data are limited to disabling illnesses, i.e., those causing inability to work, attend school, or pursue other usual activities, youth still shows the lowest rates. Likewise, rates for cases that cause the patient to go to bed for one or more days are lower in youth than at other ages. The data cited above are case rates; that is, they are based on a count of cases of various types. An entirely different kind of rate may be set up by computing the number of days lost from school or work or the number of