deaths Flashcards
What percentage of the decline in the death rate from 1850 to 1970 was due to infectious diseases?
Over three quarters
Infectious diseases included diphtheria, measles, smallpox, typhoid, and TB
By the 1950s, what type of diseases replaced infectious diseases as the main cause of death?
Diseases of affluence
Examples include heart disease and cancer
What factors contributed to improvements in public health and quality of environment?
More effective government with power to pass laws
This included improvements in housing, purer drinking water, pasteurisation of milk, and improved sewage disposal
What did the Clean Air Acts aim to reduce?
Pollution
Smog led to 4000 deaths in five days in 1952
What was the life expectancy for males born in England in 1900?
50 years
This increased to 90.7 years for males born in England in 2013
What does Harper predict regarding life expectancy?
Radical longevity
Currently, there are 10,000 people aged over 100 in the UK, predicted to reach one million by 2100
How many years earlier do those living in the poorest areas of England die compared to those in richer areas?
Seven years
Walker (2011) noted this disparity in life expectancy
Which regions in England have lower life expectancy?
The north and Scotland
Compared to the south
List the social changes that led to a higher death rate.
- Decline in dangerous manual occupations
- Smaller families reduced rates of infection transmission
- Greater public knowledge of illness causes
- Lifestyle changes
- Higher incomes = healthier lifestyle
According to Harper, what has contributed to the greatest fall in death rates?
Reduction in the number of people smoking
However, obesity has replaced smoking as a concern, with a quarter of UK adults being obese in 2021
What role did improved nutrition play in the reduction of death rates according to McKeown?
Accounted for up to half the reduction
Particularly important in reducing TB
What improvements after the 1950s helped reduce death rates?
Improved medical knowledge, techniques, and organisations
This included improved maternity services and the introduction of the NHS in 1948
Fill in the blank: A newborn baby today has a better chance of reaching its _______ birthday than a baby born in 1900 had of reaching its first birthday.
65th
