[Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Essex County Council.

  • Essex (England). County Council.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Essex County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    93/104 (page 93)
    58 ates in 1947 48 were 0 4, 15 19 and 20-24 in both males and females, and 65 and ‘]>ver for males. Those which were significantly less in 1947-48 were the groups (Tween 25 and 54 for females, and the 35-44 group in males, the attack rate in the flatter group showing a remarkable fall of about 35 per cent. In so far as young adults are concerned it seems likely that the figures, at any rate nmongst males, are influenced by the requirements of National Service. The 1931 ensus refers to the total population resident on the Census night and includes a small lumber of non-civilians. The 1947 estimate, however, relates to civilians only and himong young adults, a large percentage of the physically fit were still in the armed orces. If it is assumed that no cases of tuberculosis occurred amongst the population if Essex in the forces in 1947-48, new attack rates can be obtained based on the estimated shotal (civilian and non-civilian) population and giving the most favourable trend lossible. It has been assumed also that the non-civilians normally resident in Essex ^ire the same proportion of the total population as they are in the whole of England ind Wales, and the new attack rates calculated on this basis are contained in the olio wing Table. THE EFFECT ON THE 1947-48 MALE ATTACK RATES OF INCLUDING NON- CIVILIANS IN THE POPULATIONS FROM WHICH THE ATTACK RATES ARE CALCULATED 1947-48. Population on which based. Age Group. 1930-32. Civilian. Total. 15-19 1.540 2.196 1.728 20-24 1.790 2.617 2.284 25-34 1.847 1.805 1.732 35-44 1.781 1.159 1.138 It will be noted that although the attack rates for the age groups 15-19 and 20-24 vhave been reduced materially, they are still considerably above the 1930-32 attack nfrates. The female rates are virtually unaffected. These adjustments bring the increase ?rom 1930-32 to 1947-48 among males more closely into line with those amongst emales (see diagram) suggesting a common age and sex factor. T< re: I II tr 1 7 Discussion Allowing for the most favourable conditions in relation to tuberculosis amongst goung adults in the armed forces, there is a considerable increase in the attack iates of respiratory tuberculosis from 1930-32 to 1947-48 in the age groups lo 14 and 20 24. ( Up-to-date methods of diagnosis, including mass miniature radiogiaphy, may account do some extent for this increase, but the rates for men and women o\ ei 30 years o a^e lave declined in spite of better diagnostic facilities. The general decline in the incidence of primary notifications of respiratory tuberculosis which has commenced to manifest itself since the end of the war i recovery to the position reached in the early nineteen thirties, but t i.: . y Applies only to certain age groups. In the age groups of youn0 a u ts . significantly higher attack rate, appearing to indicate greater suscepti i lty o - greater risk of exposure or poorer resistance to envi ronmental conditions. Of these oossibilities, susceptibility and environment are the more likely, except l