Week 1 - Births, Deaths and Populations Flashcards
What are the features of a census?
Run by the government Covers a defined area Simultaneous throughout defined area Coverage is universal Occurs at regular intervals
What information is obtained from a census and what is this info used for?
Population size - calculate rates of change
Population structure - find service needs (which services need more funding etc)
Population characteristics - eg. measures of deprivation
What is population size and structure measured by, and what affects population size/structure?
Census affects population size/structure
Affected by births, deaths and migration
What is a Census?
Simultaneous recording of demographic data by government at a particular time of all people in a defined area. It describes both households and individuals.
What are the 3 ways in which birth rate is measured and describe each way
Crude Birth Rate (CBR) - no. of live births per 1000 population
General Fertility Rate (GFR) - no. of live births per 1000 fertile women between ages of 15-44
Total Period Fertility Rate (TPFR) - avg. no. of children born to a hypothetical woman in her lifetime. TPFR = total GFR
GFR is more accurate for measuring birth rates but not always possible as some areas (eg. Africa) not all women recorded on birth register etc.
What determines fertility and what affects these factors?
Fecundity - physical ability to reproduce (actual reproductive rate of an organism, measured by no. of gametes etc.)
- affected by sterilisation and hysterectomies
Possibility of Births? - realisation of this potential of births
- affected by sexual activity, economic climate, contraception, abortions
Uses of the measures of fertility
CBR - describes impact of births (ignores deaths and migration)
GFR - comparing fertility of fertile female populations
TPFR - comparing fertility of fertile females without being influenced by age group structure
What are the measures of mortality?
Crude Death Rate (CDR) - no. of deaths per 1000 population
Age-Specific Death Rate (ASDR) - no. of deaths per 1000 in age group
Standardised Mortality Ratio (SMR) - compares no. of deaths with number of ‘expected’ if age-sex distribution of populations were identical. Adjusts for age-sex distribution (like TPFR)
Why collect mortality data?
To classify causes of deaths -> analyse patterns in mortality rates -> identify health problems -> inform service needs
Key points about census, births, deaths and population
Census describes current population size and structure
Fertility is difficult to predict as it is affected by social behaviour
Mortality rates have a predictable trend
Population estimates depend on migration
Population projections depend mainly on projected migration and fertility rates
