IB HL GEOGRAPHY
Clare Cole
Describe the variations in health as reflected by changes in life expectancy at national and global scales since 1950. Explain the patterns and trends in terms of differences in income and lifestyle. Evaluate life expectancy, infant mortality rate (IMR) and child mortality, HALE (health adjusted life expectancy), calorie intake, access to safe water and access to health services as indicators of health. Discuss the geographic factors that determine the relative emphasis placed by policy makers, in one country or region, on prevention as opposed to treatment of disease.
Global Life Expectancy: Graph Overview
The graph above shows life expectancy around the world, from 1770 to 2012. It is clear that in all regions of the world, life expectancy has been increasing. The region that began increasing the earliest was Europe. Between 1840 and 1940, the life expectancy in Europe increased from just over 35 to 60 years old. Africa and Asia were the two regions in which the average life expectancy increased the latest. The rise increased from around 1900 to 1925, when the regions were colonised by Europeans. In Africa, in that period, life expectancy increased from 27 in the 1920s to over 50 in the 1980s. There was a significant drop in life expectancy in Africa in 2000, possibly due to more instances of HIV/AIDS.
The Geography of Food and Health: Course Companion Notes
Linked to the image below are notes on pages 255 to 259 in the IB Geography Course Companion, on food and health.
Our World in Data: Notes
Linked to the image below are notes on sections 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11 of the Our World in Data site, that examines the possible trends and factors that influence life expectancy.
Life Expectancy Graph
The graph below shows the changing life expectancies of five countries (Myanmar, Tanzania, Brazil, Australia, and Sierra Leone) from 1950 until 2013.
The graph above shows the life expectancy from 1950 to 2013, in Sierra Leone, Myanmar, Tanzania, Brazil, and Australia. These countries range from developing to developed, something that is clear from their position of the graph. Australia, the most developed country in this selection, had a life expectancy of a little under 70 in 1950. That number has increased to over 80 since then, in 2013. The lesser developed countries, like Sierra Leone and Tanzania have lower life expectancies, though even those have been increasing. While this is an indicator of their below average health care and general quality of life, there are some anomalies in this graph that are due to other factors. For example, the life expectancy in Sierra Leone dropped throughout the 1980s and 1990s, something that is perhaps due to the civil war at that time, in which many people were killed or internally displaced. The same dip occurred in Tanzania in that time period, although not as significant; this could be due to an epidemic of some sort, perhaps HIV/AIDS or malaria.
Life Expectancy and Income
The site above includes a video presented by Professor Hans Rosling, showing that there is a positive correlation between average income and life expectancy in countries. He shows that the countries with the highest life expectancies, such as richer countries in Europe, also tend to have the highest average income. Similarly, the countries with the lowest life expectancies, like the poorer countries in Africa and Asia, also have the lowest average income. People with higher incomes are able to afford quality health care, a good and healthy source of nutrients, good living conditions, and good sanitation. Those who are wealthier also tend to have a better education of what is good for them, and are therefore more likely or are simply more able to make health conscious decisions.
Life Expectancy and GDP
The graph above shows the relationship between life expectancy and GDP, from 1800 to 2012. According to this graph, a higher GDP per capita tends to result in higher life expectancy, and the quality of living, healthcare, nutrition, sanitation, and all-round quality of life is improved. The graph is a logarithmic curve known as the Preston Curve. Essentially, “the unit increase in life expectancy per unit increase in GDP decreases as GDP per capita increases”. This relationship has become much more significant over time. AS you can see from looking at the graph, the purple curve that indicated the relationship in 1800 is much less noticeable than the green curve, representing the relationship in 2012.
Life Expectancy and Income: Notes
Linked to the cartoon below are notes on a document about the correlation between life expectancy and income.
Health Indicators
Linked to the image below are health indicators for countries.
Health Terminology
Linked to the image below are terms and definitions important to the health unit.
