Demographic Trends: Deaths/ Life Expectancy/ What do sociologists think? Flashcards
What was the death rate in 1900?
19
What was the death rate in 2012?
8.9
What was the life expectancy for men and women in 1900?
Men: 50
Female: 57
What was the life expectancy for men and women in 2013?
Men: 91 (approx)
Female: 94
By 2100 how many centenarians is there estimated to be?
1 million
McKeown (regarding improved nutrition as a reason for the decline in death rate after 1900)
- improved nutrition accounted for 1/2 of reduction in death rates
Harper (regarding smoking and diet as a reason for the decline in death rate after 1900)
- the greatest decline in death rates is from the decrease in smoking
Since 1900, the death rate has remained fairly stable, what is the death rate?
600, 000
What are two examples of important fluctuations in the death rate?
- the two world wars and the flu epidemic of 1918
Since 1900, what has happened to the death rate?
Fallen
What are the six reasons for the fall in death rate?
- decline in deaths from infectious diseases
- medical improvements
- improved nutrition
- smoking and diet
- public health measures/ environmental improvements
- other social changes
Who were most vulnerable to infectious diseases?
- the young
Among which groups has the decline in death from infectious diseases occurred most commonly?
- infants, children and young adults
During the 1950s infectious diseases were replaced by another type of disease, what type?
- degenerative eg. heart disease
What has the population developed that means the death rate from infectious diseases has decreased?
- natural resistance
After the 1950s medical knowledge, hygiene techniques and organisation increased, give some examples of the advances
- antibiotics
- blood transfusions
- vaccinations
- immunisation
- improved maternity services
In what year was the NHS set up?
1948
How did improved nutrition lead to the decline in death rate after 1900?
- improved nutrition means increased resistance and increased survival chance of those who became infected
What does improved nutrition not explain?
- why women lived longer than men and why some infectious diseases rose at the time of improved nutrition
Although smoking has decreased which has related to the decrease in death rate, what has increased?
Obesity
Although obesity has increased, how have deaths from obesity been kept low?
Drug therapies
In the 20th century the local and central government was more effective and had more power to enforce laws - what did this lead to relating to public health measures and environmental improvements?
- improved public health and environmental quality
Give some examples of improved public health measures?
- improved housing
- purer drinking water
- better quality food and drink
- improved pasteurisation of milk
- improved sewage disposal
What are the five examples of other social changes?
- decline of dangerous manual occupations such as mining
- smaller families reduced the rate of transmission of infection
- greater public knowledge of causes of illness
- lifestyle changes (e.g. decrease in smoking)
- higher income which relates to healthier lifestyles
As death rates have fallen, what has increased?
Life expectancy
What is the phrase that Harper coins relating to the increase of life span and many more centenarians?
Radical longevity
Although there has been an overall reduction in death rate and increase in life expectancy, there are still class, gender, region and ethnic differences. Give some examples
- women generally live longer than men
- those in the North have a lower life expectancy than in the South
- working class men in unskilled/ routine jobs are much likelier to die before those in professional jobs
