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Demographic Transition Theory of Aging

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Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health

Demographic Transition Theory (DTT) was developed by Frank Notestein in 1945. This theory provides an explanation of how fertility and mortality rates impact the age distribution and growth rate of populations. The ideals expressed in the DTT originate with the work of Warren Thompson in 1929, who described population growth using three categories of countries (groups A, B, and C). Group A includes Northern Europe, Western Europe, and the United States. These countries were predicted to experience a slow rate of population growth and eventually population aging and decline due to both low fertility and mortality rate. Group B includes Eastern and Southern Europe where both fertility and mortality rates decline; however, the decrease in mortality precedes that of fertility and occurs at a faster rate than that of fertility. Low rate of mortality coupled with higher fertility rate, would result in a period of rapid population growth and an increasing proportion of younger individuals....

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Suggested Readings

  • Kirk D (1996) Demographic transition theory. Popul Stud (Camb) 50:361–387

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  • Peck DL, Hollingsworth JS (1996) Demographic and structural change the effects of the 1980s on American Society. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT

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  • Redburn DE, McNamara RP (1998) Social gerontology. Auburn House, Westport

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  • Sen K (1994) Ageing: debates on demographic transition and social policy. Zed Books, London

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  • Trovato F (ed) (2002) Population and society: essential readings. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK

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Authors
  1. Jessica Diggs
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

    Sana JD Loue PhD, MPH

  2. School of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

    Martha Sajatovic MD

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© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Diggs, J. (2008). Demographic Transition Theory of Aging. In: Loue, S.J., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_123

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_123

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-33753-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-33754-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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