What statistical measurement best describes the proportion of newborns diagnosed with congenital heart disease in a local hospital over the past year?

In evaluating the proportion of newborns diagnosed with congenital heart disease in a local hospital over the past year, the most appropriate statistical measurement is prevalence. Prevalence refers to the total number of existing cases of a condition in a population at a specific time, which in this case would be the total number of newborns diagnosed with congenital heart disease within that year. This measurement provides insight into how widespread the condition is among the newborn population in that particular hospital during the specified timeframe.

Incidence, while related to disease frequency, specifically measures the number of new cases that develop in a defined population during a specified period. Since the question focuses on both new and existing cases over the past year, prevalence is the more accurate term.

The odds ratio is a measure used to determine the odds of an event occurring in one group compared to another, often used in case-control studies, while attributable risk indicates the proportion of disease incidence that can be attributed to a specific exposure. Neither of these measurements directly addresses the proportion of cases present in the newborn population at the hospital over the past year.