Lecture 4 – Population and Health - PDF

Scott Peters Building on Rubenstein (2023) Ch. 2 Lecture 4 – Population and Health MINORS AND CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE AT SFU GEOGRAPHY CLIMATE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHIC AND GEOGRAPHY INFORMATON...

Scott Peters Building on Rubenstein (2023) Ch. 2 Lecture 4 – Population and Health MINORS AND CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE AT SFU GEOGRAPHY CLIMATE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHIC AND GEOGRAPHY INFORMATON GEOGRAPHY SOCIETY MINOR SYSTEMS MINOR MINOR MINOR GEOGRAPHIC Contact INFORMATON URBAN [email protected] SYSTEMS STUDIES CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATE Outline Key definitions Population Pyramids Demographic Transitions Malthus’s Theory Population Population = The # of people in a bound area + E.g. World Population ~8.2B people, Canada ~38.9M people How do we gather this info? + Census + Limitations & Problems Population Population Density (Arithmetic Density) = The number of humans living per unit land area + E.g. The population density of Canada is 4 per Km2 Population Russia Population: 114.2M (area: 17.1 million km²), Pop density of 8/ Km2 Bangladesh Population: 171.2M (area 148,460 km²), Pop density of 3,453/ Km2 + ~ in 0.87% the land area of Russia, Bangladesh has 1.5x the population Population and Cities Cities are areas of population and economic density (more in Ch. 12 & 13) Vancouver: 5,749.9/km2, which is the highest in Canada NYC: 11,313.81/km2 Manila, Philippines : 119,600/km2  Physiological Density: # of people Other types of Density per unit of arable land Agricultural Density: Ratio, # of farmers / amount of arable land Population Clusters 2/3 of the world’s inhabitants live in four regions—East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe The four population concentrations occupy generally low-lying areas, with temperate climate and soil suitable for agriculture. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/3d-mapping-the-worlds-largest-population-densities/ Population Distribution within Countries Demographics The different characteristics of a population Examples: + Age + Health + Sex & Gender + Race & Ethnicity + Income & Economic Opportunity + Education & Occupation + Family Structure Measuring Population + Fertility Crude Birth Rate (CBR) = Total # of live births in a year for every 1000 people Total Fertility Rate (TFR) = Average # of children a woman aged 15-49 will have CBR and TFR tend to be higher in developing countries Birth Rate Distribution Concentration in Sub- Saharan Africa Parts of Europe and East Asia seeing drastic decline Measuring Population - Mortality Crude Death Rate (CDR) = Total # of deaths in a year for every 1000 people Infant Mortality Rate = # of live births that die within 1 year /1000 Maternal Mortality Rate = # of mothers that dies as a direct result of childbirth in a year /1000 Life Expectancy = How long you are expected to live in a society Population Growth The Natural Increase Rate (NIR) is the % by which a population grows in a year NIR = (CBR-CDR)/10 Doubling Time: # of years needed to double a population, assuming a constant natural increase rate Population Pyramids Nigeria Cambodia Japan Source: Populationpyramid.net (Leo, 2023) Demographic Transition Showcases the societal transition from low NIR, to high NIR, back down to low NIR 4 stages broken up by technological and societal changes Demographic Transition Stage 1 Most of human history Hunter & Gatherer societies Growth was largely linked to food supply “…it is crudely true that if [a person’s] caloric intake is sufficient, [they] will somehow stagger to maturity, and [they] will reproduce.” – Alfred Crosby Demographic Transition Stage 2 ↓ Death Rates Birth Rates ↑ Natural Increase Rate Mostly Technologically driven Demographic Transition Stage 3 ↓ Birth Rates Death Rates ↓ Natural Increase Rate Largely Socio- Economically Driven Demographic Transition Stage 4 ↓ Birth Rates Death Rates ↓ Natural Increase Rate Driven Socially “Greying Population” Stage 4 Outcomes and Looking to Stage 5 Epidemiological Transition Distinctive health threats in each stage of the demographic transition Epidemiology is the branch of medical science concerned with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases Focus on Scale and Connection, especially distribution and diffusion Epidemiological Transition Stage 1: Pestilence and Famine Epidemics and Pandemics were the primary cause of human death, followed by famine and attacks from animals or other people E.g. The Black Plague  Epidemiological Transition Stage 2: Receding Pandemics Improved Sanitation, Nutrition, and Medical Advances in the Industrial Revolution Disproportionally affects poorer populations Dr John Snow’s 1854 Cholera Map of London Epidemiological Transition Stage 3: Degenerative Diseases Decrease in deaths from infectious diseases Increase in chronic disorders and degenerative diseases associated with aging + Cardiovascular Disease + Cancer Epidemiological Transition Stage 4: Delayed Degenerative & Lifestyle Diseases Major causes of death still exist, but lifespan is longer due to medical advances Behavioral Changes + Better diet, reduced use of tobacco and alcohol, exercise - Abuse of prescription or illegal drugs, non-nutritious foods, and sedentary lifestyles Malthus’s Theory First Published in 1798 Population grows more rapidly than food supply Argues that unmanaged growth of a population cannot be supported by a finite food supply Could lead to a ‘Malthusian Catastrophe’ resulting in famine, war and a decline in society In Ecology this is called the Carrying Capacity  Outcomes of Malthus’s Theory Substantial influence on policy makers + Social Darwinism and Eugenics + Unjustly targets poor populations The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s Neo-Malthusians and his Critics Malthus’s theory remains relevant today Theory can be applied to resources other than just food Criticisms: + Overly Pessimistic, doesn’t consider expanding or changing/substitution of resources + Some argue that population isn’t the problem, rather it is a result of unjust systems of distribution (Marxism) + There have been localized examples that both support and contradict Malthus’s Theory What do you think? Questions