Authors: R.P.O. Davies¹; K. Tocque²; M.A. Bellis²; T. Rimmington²; P.D.O. Davies¹

Source: The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 3, Number 12, December 1999 , pp. 1051-1054(4)

Publisher: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: A reinvestigation of the relationship between the decline of tuberculosis and improvement in social conditions in England and Wales during Victorian times.

DESIGN: A retrospective study using data published in the annual reports of the Registrar General from 1853 to 1910.

MEASURES ASSESSED: The diseases studied, in addition to tuberculosis were dysentery and cholera, including their total and infant mortality. Social conditions were evaluated from earnings and population density per house.

RESULTS: Tuberculosis mortality declined at an annual average rate of 1.71% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77–2.63), whereas total mortality, infant mortality and mortality from cholera and dysentery and house population density showed no statistically significant decline over the same period. Real earnings increased by 1.05% (95% CI 0.29–1.81).

CONCLUSION: Improving social conditions do not provide the total explanation for the decline in tuberculosis during Victorian times. Other factors, principally natural selection, probably played a role. Part of the current increase in tuberculosis may be caused by effective drug therapy eliminating natural selection.

Keywords: tuberculosis; mortality; social conditions; historical

Document Type: Miscellaneous

Affiliations: 1: Tuberculosis Research Unit, Cardiothoracic Centre, Liverpool, United Kingdom 2: CDSC (North West), Public Health Laboratory, Fazakerly Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom

Publication date: 1999-12-01

More about this publication?

• The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease publishes articles on all aspects of lung health, including public health-related issues such as training programmes, cost-benefit analysis, legislation, epidemiology, intervention studies and health systems research. The IJTLD is dedicated to the continuing education of physicians and health personnel and the dissemination of information on tuberculosis and lung health world-wide.

  Certain IJTLD articles are selected for translation into French, Spanish, Chinese or Russian. They are available on the Union website

• Editorial Board
• Information for Authors
• Subscribe to this Title
• ingentaconnect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Internal Medicine
• By this author: R.P.O. Davies ;  K. Tocque ;  M.A. Bellis ;  T. Rimmington ;  P.D.O. Davies

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers