University of Dhaka

ASSIGNMENT

DEPARTMENT OF POPULATION SCIENCES

Course- POP201: Morbidity and Mortality

Topic: During the epidemiological transition the most profound changes

in health and diseases patterns obtain among children and young women.

Submitted by: Md. Shahriar Kabir Saad

Roll:ZH-141-016
Session:2020-2021
3rd Semester,2nd Year

The epidemiological transition refers to the changes in population distribution patterns in relation to
mortality, morbidity, fertility, life expectancy, and leading causes of death. It was believed to be a one-
way process that started with infectious diseases and ended with non-communicable diseases
dominating as the cause of death. However, it is now recognized as a complex and dynamic process
where health and disease evolve in various ways, with some diseases disappearing and others re-
emerging.

During the epidemiological transition, children and young women experience the most significant
changes in health and disease patterns due to declining infant and maternal mortality rates, leading to a
drop in fertility. As pandemics recede, children of both sexes and females in the adolescent and
reproductive age periods benefit from genuine improvements in survivorship because they are more
susceptible to infectious and deficiency diseases. Childhood survival has significantly and progressively
improved due to advances in medical technology, better living standards, and improved nutrition and
sanitation.

Life expectancy differences between women and men are greater in the latter half of the 20th century
than in the first half, largely due to reduced rates of perinatal and maternal mortality. While all age
groups benefit from the shift in disease patterns and increase in life expectancy, the decline in childhood
mortality is the greatest, especially in the one to four-year age group. This phenomenon is evident in
England and Wales, Japan, and Chile, with the most measurable drops in childhood mortality occurring
in England and Japan.

In societies with high mortality levels and low life expectancy, communicable, perinatal, and nutritional
diseases primarily cause mortality in younger age groups. However, as the epidemiological transition
progresses, the age structure changes, and mortality shifts to older age groups.

Females have a lower risk of dying than males in the post-reproductive period, but they have a higher
probability of death during the adolescent and reproductive age intervals at low life expectancy levels.
The epidemiological transition generally favors females over males, especially after the recession of
pandemics and the improvement of living standards. However, certain developing countries, particularly
those in the Asian subcontinent, have shown exceptionally shorter life spans for females due to poor
treatment in nutrition, healthcare, and psychological support, overwork, and maternal mortality risks.

During the transition from infectious to degenerative disease predominance, women switch from a
mortality level to a more advantageous level that is higher in the reproductive years than that of men.
The female's higher relative risk of death disappears at about the level of 50 years life expectancy and
becomes lower than that of males thereafter. The reduction in fertility over time is clear, and as the
proportion of older people in the population increases, age-specific mortality rates shift from higher
levels for females, especially those of reproductive age, to lower mortality rates than males, especially
when fertility is reduced. The transition affects all social classes, but it usually starts and proceeds more
quickly among the more affluent and privileged sectors of society. Although there are differences in the
timing of the transition, the pattern of change in female/male relative risk appears similar for England,
Japan, and Chile.

Reference:
1.Omran, A. R. The Epidemiologic Transition:A Theory of Epidemiology of Population
Change.Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly 49: 509-538 (1971)