Demography

Unit 1, AS OCR Home Economics; food, nutrition and health today

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  • Created by: laura
  • Created on: 09-05-09 15:21

Population and trends

Population - the number of people inhabiting a certain area/space - measured by census.

Demography - study of characteristics of human population:

  • Growth
  • Size - The UK's population is increasing - immigrants and asylum seekers. Family sizes however are smaller.
  • Vital statistics

Declining Fertility Rates - the ratio of live births, per 1000 of the population, per year.

There has been a decline in recent years.

Declining Mortality Rates - ratio of deaths, per 1000 population, per year. This is also declining, as people are living longer. Largely the result of a longer life expectancy.

Migration to the UK- immigration: The migration to a place/country of which you are not a native, and then settle there.

More people than ever are entering the UK, to either escape prosecution in their own countries, or for a better standard of living for their family.

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Working Age Population - Will fall in size as baby boomers of 1950's move into retirement and are replaced by the smaller generations of people born since mid 1970.

Role of Women in Society - Many women are choosing to have children later in life - and therefore fewer children. 1/4 of women are choosing to remain childless.

  • effective contraceptive methods are widely available and allow women to make the choice.
  • the desire for material possessions means people are delaying having children until they have accumulated eg a house/car/fulfilled ambitions to travel.

Advances in Hygiene and Medicine - Over the last 200 years - reduced mortalitity, especially infant mortality. (Death rate during first year of life). Drug treatments developed for previously fatal conditions - preventative medicine eg VACCINESreduced incidences of life threatening conditions.

New diagnostic equipment - detect conditions quicker, treatment more likely to be effective.

New surgical procedures - extend life - previously impossible.

Improved diet and greater understanding of the health risks eg SMOKING, ALCOHOL,LACK OF EXERCISE.

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