2.5 Epidemiological Transition Model Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, definitions, and stages of the Epidemiological Transition Model (ETM) based on lecture notes.

Epidemiological Transition Model (ETM)

A model that runs parallel to the Demographic Transition Model (DTM), explaining why people die at each stage of economic development by identifying changing patterns of disease, mortality, and causes of death over time.

Epidemic

A disease outbreak that affects a specific region or community.

Pandemic

A disease that spreads across multiple regions or globally across international borders.

Endemic

A disease consistently present in a specific local area, geographic region, or population group (e.g., Malaria in tropical zones).

Chronic Disease

A long-lasting health condition that persists over an extended period (typically 3+ months) and progresses slowly over time.

Degenerative Disease

A non-communicable disease caused by aging, wear-and-tear on the body, or lifestyle choices, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and Alzheimer's.

Superbugs

Bacteria and viruses that undergo genetic mutations and evolve resistance to modern antibiotics due to medication overuse.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a person is expected to live based on current mortality rates.

ETM Stage 1: Pestilence & Famine

A stage characterized by high mortality rates caused by parasitic and infectious diseases, animal attacks, accidents, dirty water, and food shortages (e.g., the Bubonic Plague).

ETM Stage 2: Receding Pandemics

A stage featuring a rapid decline in Crude Death Rate (CDR) due to the Industrial and Medical Revolutions, improved public sanitation, cleaner water systems, and lower Infant Mortality Rates (IMR).

ETM Stage 3: Degenerative Diseases

A stage where increasing life expectancy causes infectious disease deaths to decrease while chronic conditions associated with aging (such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer) rise.

ETM Stage 4: Delayed Degenerative

A stage where advanced medical technology, surgical procedures, and drugs delay deaths from degenerative conditions, though new challenges arise like sedentary behavior, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

ETM Stage 5: Re-emerging Diseases

A potential stage where diseases re-emerge due to mutated antibiotic-resistant superbugs, high population density in urban poverty, and rapid global travel spread via globalization.