An Introduction of Demography and Disease
Demography is defined as the study of the alteration in numbers of births, deaths, marriages, and cases of the disease in a community or society over a period of time. Hence it is a scientific study of the population. It is derived from the Greek root “demos” which means people and “graphein” which means to draw, write or explain.
The evolution of human culture has demonstrated three key features over the past 10,000 years. These are an increase in complexity in social culture, enhancement in energy flow. And increment in population density and size. All of these features have made significant impacts on health and disease.
Some infectious diseases had spread in the history of the world and changed the course of history. Epidemics and Plagues have affected the lives of humans throughout their existence. Some of the plagues are the yellow fever epidemic, bubonic plague (black death), Spanish Flu, H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic and Ebola epidemic
Concept of Demography
The concept of demography focuses on three phenomenons. These are given below.
Population size or growth: The phenomenon of population growth deals with slow growth, rapid growth as well as population decline.
Population composition: Ethnic, age, sex etc. parameters fall in this category.
Population distribution: Population distribution is related to the percentage of rural, urban and suburban populations.
Effect of Demography on Health
The health of people is affected by the change of demographic phenomenon. The health systems of countries work according to the demographics. Adverse changes in demographics are resulting in higher treatment costs. The number of patients having disease increased due to the increasing population as the living standards, education level and health knowledge decreased. The increased population creates pressure on the environment and food cycle. People living in dense populations have major health issues such as breathing problems, heart disease, lung disease and other issues. The countries having large populations face issues such as shortage of food and poor quality of food, starvation and undernourishment.
Objective of Demography
The objective of the demography is given below.
The top objective of demography is to gain information and statistical data about the density, composition, size and distribution of the population.
Demography is helpful in order to study the trend of growth that describes the evolution of the past, distribution of the present population and future changes in the population of a region.
It is beneficial to describe the trends of the population with social parameters such as education level, employment, living standards, urbanization in a specific region.
Demography targets overcoming the possibility of future disease and its consequences.
Importance of Demography
Some points are mentioned below which describes the importance of the demography.
Demography helps in understanding the rate of growth of the economy with respect to population. If the population growth is faster then the economy of the country will develop slowly. Hence for economic growth study of demography becomes essential.
If the population is growing at a fast rate then it will degrade the standard of living of people and there will be a high probability of diseases that may be fatal and spread disease. In this scenario, the knowledge of demography would be helpful to manage the population.
A balanced population is helpful in order to increase per capita income, increase the employment rate and high living standards etc. Basic services such as electricity, water, transport, health facilities can be provided to all people.
Bubonic Plague
Bubonic plague is an epidemic disease that is spread to human beings by infected fleas that travel on rodents. This disease mostly occurred along trading routes. Historians named this disease “Black Dead”. During the Middle ages, millions of people died because of this disease in Europe. It can be prevented by reducing exposure to rats, mice, squirrels and other infected animals.
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It was caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. This bacteria is observed in rodent populations which are spread by fleas that had bitten infected animals. The disease is transferred from animals to humans and then transmitted from humans to humans and spread along established trade routes. The exact fatality count of the plague of the historical period is not available due to limited records. But it is estimated by historians that around somewhere between 30% and 60% of the population of Europe died because of Balck death.
Effects of the plague
The effect of the black death is focused on Europe. It also impacted Asia. In comparison to China, Europe had a smaller population. It damaged China more than Europe in terms of death. It spread throughout the Middle East and South Asia by trade in the Indian Ocean.
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The exact number of deaths is not available due to the lack of clear records but according to the estimation by historians, the Black Death killed around 30% to 60% of the population of Europe. The death rate of bubonic plague varies from region to region. Some areas witnessed a high rate of mortality on the other side some regions remained almost untouched by the disease as the disease was not spread there. The fear caused by the bubonic plague sometimes led to violence, in some areas due to the unavailability of a lack of medical information and facilities.
Do you know?
In archaeological findings, Yersinia pestis ( bacteria that causes bubonic plague) has been discovered from the Late Bronze Age. The ancient DNA present in the teeth of humans is helpful in identifying this bacteria from Asia and Europe that dated around 2,800 to 5,000 years ago.
The Bubonic Plague is also known as the Great Mortality. This terminology is derived from medieval chronicles’ use of Magna mortalitas.
Conclusion
We get to know about the key concepts of disease and demography. In the modern world, demography should be well managed. This is the only way to manage population and economic development hand in hand. Medical awareness and facilities are essential to deal with epidemic diseases. In the medieval time, people were not aware of medical knowledge hence they faced fatal diseases like the bubonic plague.
FAQs on Disease and Demography
1. What exactly is demography and how does it connect to the study of history?
Demography is the scientific study of human populations, focusing on their size, structure, and distribution, as well as changes over time due to births, deaths, and migration. In history, it's a crucial tool that helps us understand the past not just as a series of events, but in terms of human impact. By studying historical demography, we can analyse how populations were affected by wars, famines, technological shifts, and especially, the spread of diseases.
2. How did a widespread disease like the Black Death affect the demography of Europe?
The Black Death had a catastrophic effect on European demography. Its primary impact was a massive increase in the mortality rate, which wiped out an estimated 30% to 50% of the population in the 14th century. This drastic population decline led to severe labour shortages, which in turn caused major social and economic changes, such as higher wages for peasants and the gradual end of the manorial system.
3. What is the main difference between demography and epidemiology?
While both fields are related to population health, they focus on different aspects. Demography is the broad study of human populations and their characteristics (like age, birth rates, death rates). Epidemiology, on the other hand, specifically studies the patterns, causes, and effects of diseases and health conditions within those populations. In simple terms, demography studies the people, while epidemiology studies the diseases that affect them.
4. Why is understanding the link between disease and demography essential for historians?
Studying this link is essential because it provides a deeper explanation for major historical turning points. It helps historians to:
- Explain social transformations: For example, labour shortages after a plague could empower the working class.
- Analyse the fall of empires: Major epidemics, like the Plague of Justinian, weakened empires by decimating their armies and workforce.
- Understand colonisation: The introduction of European diseases to the Americas caused a demographic collapse among indigenous populations, which was a key factor in European conquest.
5. Besides a high death rate, what other demographic changes can a major epidemic cause in a society?
Beyond the obvious rise in death rates, a major epidemic can trigger several other significant demographic shifts. These include changes in migration patterns as people flee affected areas, a drop in fertility rates due to social disruption and uncertainty, and alterations in the age structure of the population, as diseases often disproportionately affect the very young and the elderly.
6. How do historians find information about population changes from centuries ago?
Historians use various sources to reconstruct historical demography, since precise census data was often unavailable. They rely on clues from documents like church records of baptisms and burials, tax rolls that listed households, legal documents, and written accounts from chroniclers. They also use archaeological evidence, such as the number and density of burial sites, to estimate the impact of a major disease outbreak.
