To solve this question, we need to analyze the data provided in the table and understand which quantity is being represented by the number 27.99 for the year 2005.
1. Understanding the table data:
- The table includes data for several years from 2005 to 2009.
- Each year has multiple values, which likely represent specific statistics related to melanoma diagnoses.
2. Focusing on the data for 2005:
- The value of interest here is 27.99 for the year 2005.
3. Determining what 27.99 represents:
- Given the consistent number format and the typical context of such data, especially in medical statistics, we can infer that these values represent rates of diagnosis, often per a standard population size (commonly per 100,000 people).
4. Reviewing possible interpretations:
- "In 2005, 27.99 percent of males were diagnosed with melanoma."
This is unlikely because a rate of nearly 28% is extraordinarily high for a medical condition and would represent a massive portion of the male population.
- "In 2005, 27.99 males out of 100 were diagnosed with melanoma."
This implies 27.99%, which again seems excessively high for melanoma diagnoses and is not consistent with typical epidemiological data representation.
- "In 2005, 27.99 cases of melanoma were diagnosed in males."
This does not provide a clear scaling factor and could be misleading without additional context (such as population size).
- "In 2005, 27.99 males out of every 100,000 were diagnosed with melanoma."
This interpretation aligns with typical epidemiological reporting and the context of per 100,000 population rates commonly used in public health statistics.
5. Selecting the best interpretation:
- The option "In 2005, 27.99 males out of every 100,000 were diagnosed with melanoma" best fits the expected format and context of the data provided.
Conclusion:
In 2005, 27.99 males out of every 100,000 were diagnosed with melanoma. Thus, this numerical value represents the incidence rate of melanoma diagnoses among males for that year, scaled per 100,000 of the population.
