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What does the Preston Curve represent?
  • a)
    The relationship between education and employment rates
  • b)
    The relationship between population density and urbanization
  • c)
    The relationship between inflation and economic growth
  • d)
    The relationship between per capita income and average life expectancy
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
What does the Preston Curve represent?a)The relationship between educa...
The Preston curve refers to a certain empirical relationship that is witnessed between life expectancy and per capita income in a country. 
About Preston Curve:
  • It is a graphical representation that shows the relationship between a country's per capita income (usually measured as GDP per capita) and its average life expectancy.
  • It was first proposed by American sociologist Samuel H. Preston in his 1975 paper, “The changing relation between mortality and level of economic development”. 
  • Preston found that people living in richer countries generally had longer life spans when compared with people living in poorer countries.
  • This is likely because people in wealthier countries have better access to healthcare, are better educated, live in cleaner surroundings, enjoy better nutrition etc.
  • When a poor country begins to grow, its per capita income rises and causes a significant increase in life expectancy initially as people are able to consume more than just subsistence calories, enjoy better healthcare, etc. 
  • For example, the average per capita income of Indians rose from around ₹9,000 per year in 1947 to around ₹55,000 per year in 2011. During the same period, the average life expectancy of Indians rose from a mere 32 years to over 66 years.
  • However, the positive relationship between per capita income and life expectancy begins to flatten out after a certain point.
  • In other words, an increase in the per capita income of a country does not cause much of a rise in the life expectancy of its population beyond a point, perhaps because human life span cannot be increased indefinitely.
Hence option d is the correct answer.
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Community Answer
What does the Preston Curve represent?a)The relationship between educa...
The Preston Curve represents the relationship between per capita income and average life expectancy. It is named after Samuel H. Preston, who first introduced this concept in the 1970s. The curve illustrates that as per capita income increases, so does average life expectancy.
- Explanation of the Relationship:
- The Preston Curve shows that countries with higher per capita income tend to have longer life expectancies. This is because wealthier nations typically have better access to healthcare, education, sanitation, and nutrition, which are essential factors in improving overall health and longevity.
- Implications:
- The Preston Curve highlights the importance of economic development in improving public health outcomes. By focusing on increasing income levels and reducing poverty, countries can potentially increase life expectancy and overall well-being.
- Policy Implications:
- Governments and policymakers can use the Preston Curve to inform their decisions on healthcare, social welfare, and economic development policies. By understanding the relationship between income and life expectancy, they can prioritize investments that will have the greatest impact on public health.
- Global Disparities:
- The Preston Curve also underscores the global disparities in health outcomes, with lower-income countries typically experiencing lower life expectancies compared to wealthier nations. Addressing these disparities requires targeted interventions to improve access to healthcare, education, and other social determinants of health.
In conclusion, the Preston Curve serves as a valuable tool for understanding the link between economic prosperity and public health outcomes. By striving to increase per capita income, countries can work towards improving life expectancy and overall quality of life for their populations.
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What does the Preston Curve represent?a)The relationship between education and employment ratesb)The relationship between population density and urbanizationc)The relationship between inflation and economic growthd)The relationship between per capita income and average life expectancyCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
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