The Population and Health track focuses on the dynamics of population in terms of size, structure and characteristics, and on both determinants and consequences of change. Training in sociology, economics and statistics are incorporated, as well as training in formal demograghy, the core discipline underlying population studies. Students in Population and Health not only have the opportunity to learn and work with faculty experts, they are also able to take advantage of training and leadership opportunities through the Hopkins Population Center. Focus areas of PFRH faculty in Population & Health include: Population Aging
Over the last quarter of the twenieth century, birth rates fell in almost every country of the world, partly in response to major public health efforts in the area of family planning. One of the inevitable results of lower birth rates is a substantial increase in the size of the population that is older. Faculty in PFRH work simultaneously to confront the public health issues presented by population aging while facing substantial challenges in the areas of maternal and child health. Migration
We are living in what has been called "The Age of Migration," and large-scale movements of people from one place to another raise a number of interesting and important issues that PFRH faculty and students explore, including: health disparities between migrants and non-migrants; the health of poor urban residents in large cities in developing countries; and how migration affects the spread of disease and refugee health. Family Life
The average age of marriage is rising all over the world, and, in many countries, divorce and non-marital cohabitation is on the rise. These demographic changes have huge implications for children. In addition, the decline in death rates at older ages has dramatically expanded the length of time that people have living parents with consequent changes in family life. Formal Demography
The PFRH department is the primary academic base within the Johns Hopkins University for the core discipline of demography. Faculty in the Department focus on the primary components that make up formal demography including the mathematics behind the study of morbidity, mortality, fertility and migration in populations all over the world.
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