Data in the MMWR
Tables (7 of 12)
Posted to LinkedIn on 2026-01-27. The text below is the post as published.
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Data in the MMWR (§5.6): Tables On this site (opens in a new tab)
[2026-01-27]
Principles: Tables in a main report should balance density against utility. Data and analytic concepts are described with enough detail that the table can stand apart from its report. Analytic and inferential procedures are correctly named, possibly in a table’s footnote. Within a table, a reader should be able to cross-reference cells that are compared, e.g., with row or column percentages.
Observations: Several tables densely format a large number of numeric values or footnote marks. One table contains over 1,500 numbers; another contains 930 numbers. One table contains 250 cells, of which 184 have a footnote mark; another contains 112 cells to which a significance test is applied, of which 74 have a footnote mark. Tables rarely specify the name of significance tests, with a few notable exceptions. No tables fully describe methods for CIs, though many partially describe regression procedures. Many record only dichotomous significance test results.
Recommendations: These recommendations pertain to tables as a whole. Recommendations specific to numerical format are given elsewhere. Balance table density against utility. A sparse table might work better as prose in lieu of a table. A dense, large, or complex table should be thinned out, simplified, or otherwise reduced in complexity, so that the reader knows what to focus on and how to connect the results in the table with the overall narrative, while preserving the transparency and integrity of the analysis. In some cases, a figure might be more suitable than a table. Where the full extent of a dense, large, or complex table is important—for example, as comprehensive documentation or as an official record—place the table in a supplement and alert the reader to the value and location of the more extensive tabulation. Always name inferential procedures (how P-values and CIs were obtained). It is preferred to state whether and by what method inferences are adjusted for multiple comparisons or simultaneous inferences. Where contrasts are presented, explicitly note the reference value or category for the contrast.
Next topic: Figures (§5.7)
Data in the MMWR
- Introduction · How learners read
- 1 · Sources
- 2 · Methods
- 3 · Description
- 4 · Comparison
- 5 · Adjustment
- 6 · Conclusions
- 7 · Tables (this post)
- 8 · Figures
- 9 · Interpretation
- 10 · Impact
- 11 · Context
- 12 · Additional practices