Measuring Mortality, Fertility, and Natural Increase: A Self-Teaching Guide to Elementary Measures

This revised edition of Palmore and Gardner's popular introductory textbook presents elementary measures used in demographic analysis, beginning with rates, ratios, percentages, and probabilities and proceeding to the crude death rate and age-specific death rates, standardized rates, the infant mortality rate, the life table, the crude birth rate and age-specific fertility rates, the general fertility rate, total fertility rate, gross and net reproduction rates, period and cohort fertility measures, and the analysis of birth intervals. Written in a direct, conversational style, it includes numerous examples and illustrations that have been updated with data from the 1990 round of censuses. At the end of each section are exercises and quizzes designed to test students' understanding of the material presented. Four appendixes and recommendations for further reading provide readers with additional useful information. Includes an index.