Deaths

Question 1

Deaths

Answer 1

•Death Rate: The number of deaths per 1,000 of the population per year.

Historical Data:
•1900: Death rate was 19 per 1,000.
•2007: Death rate had nearly halved.

Diseases of Affluence:
•Concept: Diseases related to wealth and lifestyle, such as heart disease and cancers.
•Emergence: Became more common by the 1950s, surpassing infectious diseases.
Reasons for Decline in Death Rate:
•Reduction in Infectious Diseases: Improved public health measures and medical advancements reduced deaths from infectious diseases.

Question 2

Improved nutrition

Answer 2

•McKeown (1972) Argument:
•Role of Improved Nutrition: McKeown argues that improved nutrition contributed up to 50% of the reduction in death rates.
•Impact on Tuberculosis (TB): Better nutrition was especially effective in reducing deaths from TB.

Effects of Improved Nutrition:

•Increased Resistance: Enhanced nutrition increased individuals’ resistance to infection.
•Improved Survival: Those who did become infected had better survival chances due to improved nutritional status.

Question 3

Improved nutrition AO3

Answer 3

Gender Discrepancy:
•Observation: Females, who often receive a smaller share of the family food supply, lived longer than males.
•Challenge: This discrepancy is not fully explained by improved nutrition alone.
•Infectious Disease Trends:
•Rising Deaths: Some infectious diseases, like measles and infant diarrhoea, saw increased mortality rates even as nutrition improved.
•Challenge: This contradicts the expectation that better nutrition should reduce deaths from all infectious diseases

Question 4

Medical improvements

Answer 4

•Post-1950s Developments:
•Medical Advances: Improved medical knowledge, techniques, and organization contributed to reduced death rates.
• Key Innovations:
• Blood transfusions
• Antibiotics
• Immunisation
• Enhanced maternity services
• Introduction of the NHS in 1948
• Recent Advances:
• Heart Disease: Modern medication, bypass surgery, and other developments have reduced deaths from heart disease by one-third.

Question 5

Medial treatment AO3

Answer 5

•Pre-1950 Death Rate Decline:
•Issue: Medical improvements were minimal before 1950.
•Implication: Medical advancements alone cannot explain the decline in death rates that began before 1950.

Question 6

Smoking and diet

Answer 6

• Impact of Smoking Reduction:
• Harper’s Argument: The greatest decline in death rates in recent decades is attributed to a reduction in smoking.
• Emergence of Obesity:
• Current Issue: In the 21st century, obesity has replaced smoking as the major lifestyle epidemic.
• Statistics: In 2012, a quarter of all UK adults were obese.

Question 7

Smoking and diet ao3

Answer 7

However, deaths from obesity have remained low as a result of medication.
Medical
improvements may be the most substantial explanation

Question 8

Public health measure

Answer 8

• Government Action:
• 20th Century: Effective central and local government efforts led to significant public health improvements.
• Improvements:
• Housing: Better ventilation and less overcrowding.
• Water: Purification of drinking water.
• Food Safety: Laws against food and drink adulteration.
• Air Quality: Clean Air Acts reduced pollution, addressing issues like the 1952 smog that caused 4,000 deaths in five days.

Question 9

Ao3 public health measures

Answer 9

• Current Issues:
• Deprivation: Some areas still face problems like overcrowding.
• Public Health: These ongoing issues mean that public health remains a concern today.