Reasons for the decline in death rate
- Created by: NotGina
- Created on: 02-12-19 09:44
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- Reasons for the decline in the death rate
- Tranter (1996)
- fall in number of deaths from infectious diseases e.g. measles, smallpox
- population may have began to develop some natural resistance or some dieases became less virulent (powerful)
- most infectious diseases were common in the young and most of decline in death rate occured amongst infants, children and young adults
- fall in number of deaths from infectious diseases e.g. measles, smallpox
- 'diseases of affluence' e.g. heart disease, cancer replaced infectious diseases as main cause of death - affected middle aged and old more than the young
- Improved nutrition
- Thomas McKeown (1972)
- accounts for up to half reduction in death rate; increases resistance to infection and increases survival chance of those who did become infected
- doesn't explain why females, who receive smaller share of family food supply, lived longer than males;
- doesn't ecplain why deaths from some infectious diseases e.g. measles rose at time of improving nutrition
- Thomas McKeown (1972)
- Medical improvements
- before 1950s, despire some important innovations, medical improvemnts played almost no part in reduction of deaths from infectious disease
- after 1950s, death rates reduced; antibiotics, immunisation, NHS set-up in 1948 lead to reduction
- Smoking and diet
- Harper
- greatest fall in death rates are from reduction in no. of people smoking
- depiste increase in obesity (1/4 in US in 2012) deaths from obesity have been kept low as result of drug therapies
- we are moving to an 'American health culture' = lifestyles are unhealthy but long lifespan is achieved by use of costly medication
- Harper
- Public health measures
- more effective central + local goverments w/ nessary power to pass and enforce laws = range of improvements in public health + quality of environment
- improvements in housing, purer drinking water, improved sewage disposal methods, Clean air Acts - reduced air pollution e.g 1952 smog that led to 4,000 deaths
- more effective central + local goverments w/ nessary power to pass and enforce laws = range of improvements in public health + quality of environment
- Other social changes
- decline of dangerous manual occupations; smaller familes reduced rate of transmission of infections; greater public knowledge of causes of illnesses; higher incomes allowing for healthier lifestyle
- Social stratification
- people living in poorest areas of England die on average seven years earlier than those in richest areas
- Tranter (1996)
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