Nonmetro population rebound continues and broadens

"As the decade of the 1990s has progressed, the nonmetro [U.S.] population has received a substantial net influx of people, leading to sharp reduction in the number of counties with population decline.... A third of the nonmetro counties grew at a rate higher than the Nation as a whole (5.6 percent) from 1990-95, and such counties had three-fourths of all nonmetro growth.... Among major regions, nonmetro population growth continued to be much faster in the West than elsewhere...."

Migration and race in the southern United States

"Using data from the 1985-1990 [U.S.] County-to-County Migration Flow Files..., which facilitate a disaggregated analysis of the effects of migration patterns on the extent of black concentration in the South, this paper analyzes and assesses how migration to and from the South has affected the distribution of blacks and whites in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas."

Interprovincial migration in China, 1985-1990

"This paper investigates the patterns and determinants of interprovincial migration streams in China for the period 1985-1990.... Migration flow data from the 1990 Chinese census permit us to examine these issues and policies, and to ascertain the degree to which the objectives of the country's migration policies are being met. We address these and related matters by developing a human ecological model of interprovincial migration that is grounded in a straightforward gravity model which should help us better understand the patterns of migration to, and from, each of the provinces of China between 1985 and 1990."

Renewed population growth in rural America

This chapter documents the fact that "nonmetropolitan America has experienced widespread population gain and net in-migration since 1990. This contrasts with the trend evident through most of this century.... However, this deconcentration has been selective and tempered by economic period effects. Future nonmetropolitan demographic change is likely to be even more dependent on migration because recent rural fertility patterns, together with age structure shifts, have diminished the contribution natural increase can make to rural growth. This increasing dependence on migration, coupled with the greater integration of nonmetropolitan areas into the national and international system, makes rural America increasingly sensitive to national and global economic, political, and social forces."

The economic and demographic restructuring of nonmetropolitan counties in the Mountain West

"The purpose of this paper is to examine the fluctuating economic and demographic landscapes within nonmetro Mountain West counties [of the United States], describe relationships between the economic restructuring and shifting demographic patterns, and to discuss the potential significance of these transformations for the Mountain West nonmetro region. We begin by articulating a conceptual framework linking economic restructuring (development) and population change due to migration. The remainder of the paper empirically examines these linkages. A concluding section summarizes our findings and provides suggestions for future research."

Epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease in the Western Region, The Gambia

BACKGROUND

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in young children in the developing world. The recent development of pneumococcal polysaccharide/protein conjugate vaccines may make possible prevention of this infection. However, little is known about the epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease in children in the developing world.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the incidence and epidemiologic features of invasive pneumococcal disease in children resident in a semiurban area of The Gambia.

METHOD

The study was part of a large trial of an Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine that recruited 42 848 children at the age of 2 months during the period March, 1993, to October, 1995. Follow-up of study children continued until December 31, 1995; therefore the first children to enter the trial were followed for 2.5 years and the last for just a few months. During the period of surveillance, 2256 children were investigated for possible invasive pneumococcal disease when they presented to a hospital or health center.

RESULTS

We detected 110 cases of pneumococcal disease. Pneumonia was the most common form of invasive pneumococcal disease observed (75.5% of patients). The incidence of pneumococcal disease was 224 [95% confidence interval (CI) 171, 277] per 100,000 child years among children ages 2 to 11 months, 139 (95% CI 93, 184) per 100,000 among children ages 12 to 23 months and 82 (95% CI 21, 143) per 100,000 among children ages 24 to 35 months. Pneumococci of serogroups 14, 6, 5, 23, 19, 46 and 2 were isolated most frequently. Susceptibility to pneumococcal disease was not increased significantly among Haemophilus influenzae type b-vaccinated children.

CONCLUSIONS

The pneumococcus is a major cause of bacterial infection in The Gambia. A proposed nine-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for developing countries containing conjugates of serogroups 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 14, 18, 19 and 23 would cover 74% of cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in children resident in the Western Region of The Gambia.

Recent population trends in nonmetropolitan cities and villages: from the turnaround, through reversal, to the rebound

"The purpose of this study is to track and contrast the patterns of local concentration and deconcentration in nonmetropolitan America between 1950 and 1996. We consider the growth of places by initial size as well as the growth of population living in the countryside or in unincorporated hamlets.... To determine how widespread and consistent the trends are, we compare patterns of growth by nearness to metropolitan areas, and by region of the country. We also examine differences among a subset of nonmetropolitan places distinguished by the primary socioeconomic character of their county. Using a detailed data file from the 1990 census, we are able to give some consideration to commuting."

Population change in the Great Plains since 1950 and the consequences of selective migration

This "study was initiated to explore the causes and consequences of persistent population loss in the Great Plains region [of the United States]. After classifying all counties by their growth patterns over the past five decades, we developed a typology that categorized counties based on the direction and magnitude of their population change.... We use this typology to explore the correlates of residential population change, and to examine the explanatory power of the variables found to be statistically significant."

Accounting for two population turnarounds in nonmetropolitan America

"The turnaround [in U.S. rural-to-urban migration] of the 1970s, the metropolitan resurgence of the 1980s, and the rural rebound of the 1990s [have been] described as three unanticipated changes in migration.... [This chapter] compares the magnitude of the three changes in net migration and contrasts the two nonmetropolitan turnarounds.... The results support a view of the 1970s turnaround as the outcome of long-term deconcentrating trends that were interrupted from the late 1970s to the late 1980s by circumstances that favored metropolitan areas. The return of nonmetropolitan territory to net in-migration in the 1990s appears to be due in part to favorable economic conditions that allow more people to act on preferences for smaller places."

Cutaneous leishmaniasis: an emerging epidemic focus of Leishmania tropica in north Morocco

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Morocco occurs mainly in the south and is caused by Leishmania major and L. tropica. In 1995, for the first time, 4 autochthonous cases were confirmed by smear and/or culture from the province of Taza in north Morocco. An active survey revealed 128 more cases. The number had increased gradually since 1994. Most of the cases (86%) came from the suburbs of the city of Taza. All cultured and typed parasites were characterized as L. tropica MON-102. A leishmanin skin test survey among a random sample of the exposed population showed an overall positivity rate of 19.9%, with no correlation with age or gender. The spatial distribution of the cases and skin test positivity, their occurrence in all age groups, the highly variable clinical picture, the severity and large size of lesions in older patients, the slow recovery of some treated patients, and the isoenzymic monomorphism of the parasite, all suggested that cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. tropica is an emerging disease in Taza.

Nonmetro elders better off than metro elders on some measures, not on others

The author examines characteristics of the nonmetropolitan elderly in the United States. "A larger share of the nonmetro population was age 60 and older (18 percent) in 1996 than the metro population (15 percent). At ages 75 and older, half of all elderly persons are living alone. This is associated with a greater likelihood of being poor: 42 percent of nonmetro persons age 75 and older were poor or near-poor, compared with 28 percent of their metro counterparts."

Fewer immigrants settle in nonmetro areas and most fare less well than metro immigrants

"Recent attention to the issue of immigration in the United States has led to the addition of questions about immigration status to the Current Population Survey. Data from the March 1996 version show that Mexico has been the single largest source of immigration to the nonmetro United States, that a large proportion of nonmetro immigrants are children, and that nonmetro immigrants generally have lower earnings, higher unemployment, and higher poverty rates than metro immigrants and nonmetro natives. Fewer immigrants live in nonmetro areas than in metro, but they are concentrated in particular areas."

The importance of "the rural" in the constitution of counterurbanization: evidence from England in the 1980s

"This paper...argues that a reconciliation between...different explanations of counterurbanization can possibly be achieved, but will require the pursuit of a more nuanced analysis of the detailed unfolding of the migration process. Such an analysis involves examining the migration from the migrant's perspective. In particular, we need to recognize the variety of both spatial scales and experiential environments that may be involved in any one act of migration." The geographic focus is on England.

Teenage conception and contraception in the English regions

Nationally available data on teenage fertility, family planning care and mortality were analysed to determine the relationship between teenage conception, availability of abortion and family planning care, and an indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage--the Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR). In the 14 regions of England the strongest correlate of teenage conception and of the proportion of teenage conceptions aborted was female all-causes SMR. High levels of provision of NHS abortion services and uptake of family planning clinic care did not significantly reduce teenage fertility. Provision of traditional family planning services obviously plays an important role in preventing teenage pregnancy, but innovation in this service coupled with a concerted effort to reduce social disadvantage might have a greater impact on teenage fertility in England.

Regional metropolitan and nonmetropolitan trends in annual growth rates of total personal income and population: 1959-1987

"The annual growth rates of total personal income and population in regional metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas [of the United States] are examined for the period 1959-87, partitioned into sub periods. Statistical testing for equality of rates shows no perceptible differences in growth rates between the major categories, metro and nonmetro. Further, this study uses a model similar in scope to shift-share analysis to test for convergence of the growth rates within these categories. It was found that for both regional nonmetro and metro areas, there was a general trend toward convergence with the exception of the 1970s decade. In that decade total population growth rates in the nonmetro areas and total income and total population growth rates in the metro areas showed significant divergences."

Population dynamics in rural South Australia

The authors examine recent trends in Australia in turnaround migration, or the movement of the population from urban to rural areas. "The paper assesses the major changes which have occurred in population trends within the non-metropolitan sector of the nation, South Australia and, in particular, a study area in the lower north region of South Australia. The analysis of the case study region draws upon a survey undertaken in 1968-1970 and partially replicated in 1980 and 1990. It appears that for Australia in general and for the study area the turnaround is continuing but at a slower pace and in a more spatially concentrated pattern."

Residues of organochlorine pesticides in human milk from mothers living in the greater Harare area of Zimbabwe

Residue levels of the chlorinated hydrocarbons p,p -DDT, p,p, -DDE, p,p TDE, p,p -DDT, alpha-beta-gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in human milk of 40 Zimbabwean mothers living in the greater Harare area. Three municipal clinics and one main hospital were randomly selected as collecting points. The main organochlorine contaminants found in all the samples analysed were p,p -DDT and p,p -DDE and the mean levels of sum DDT and DDT/DDE ratio were 6 mg/kg milk fat and 0.74 respectively. In general, relatively low residue levels of alpha-beta-,gamma-HCH, heptachlorepoxide and dieldrin were detected in 58,100,63,13 and 65pc, respectively of all the milk samples analysed. Trace of the PCB congener 2,2,4,5,5'-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 101) were found in 15 samples and only one sample contained traces of 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 118). The results were examined with regard to health ad living condition of the mothers. From the small population observed around the greater Harare area--social status, educational background an living conditions could be described as important demographic variables influencing the frequency distribution of residual levels of sum DDT in the mother's milk.

Prospects for service sector employment growth in non-metropolitan America

"This paper focuses on how successfully non-metropolitan areas [in the United States] can compete for service-producing industry. Data on wage and salary employment for the 1969-84 period are used to assess how well non-metropolitan areas have been keeping up with metropolitan areas in expanding service jobs. Changes in patterns of employment growth in non-metropolitan and metropolitan service industries between 1969-76 and 1976-84 are described and these changes related to the growth pattern in goods-producing industries. In addition, data are used to identify the types of service activities that have concentrated in non-metropolitan areas."

Regional population growth rate differences: note

"This note investigates regional population growth in the U.S. for 1959-84, taking into account four city sizes and three time periods. It is found that the growth is largest in city size (0.5-1.0) million and (1.0-2.0) million. Over time, the growth is largest in the less urbanized regions." The note aims to supplement the findings of Daniel Garnick and is based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Long-distance commuting and population change in Georgia, 1960-80

The authors investigate counter-urbanization and population change in Georgia between 1960 and 1980 by examining commuting patterns. "The immediate objective is to construct the entire set of commuting fields of both large metropolitan areas to metropolitan and nonmetropolitan employment centers. We then proceed to the relationship between commuting from nonmetropolitan areas to all levels of Georgia's urban hierarchy and population change in these nonmetropolitan settings. By matching population growth and decline areas with explicit employment ties...the nature of the population changes is much better understood." Data from the 1960, 1970, and 1980 censuses for 581 Census County Divisions (CCDs) in Georgia are analyzed. It is concluded that "most nonmetropolitan growth taking place in Georgia is associated with intensification of metropolitan commuting fields along with growth of nonmetropolitan centers and their influence along the very periphery of metropolitan spheres of employment influence. However, a significant share of Georgia's nonmetropolitan population revitalization is explained by growth independent of direct metropolitan influence. It would appear then that nonmetropolitan growth centers are an important part of the basis for population decentralization in Georgia. Metropolitan spill-over alone cannot account for counterurbanization on this portion of the American economic landscape."

Shifts in the distribution of rural population in the non-Chernozem zone of the RSFSR

"Rural population change within the Non-Chernozem zone of the RSFRS [Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic] is examined over the period 1959-79 at several levels of analysis: the Non-Chernozem zone as a whole, its major economic regions, individual oblasts, individual rayons and individual farms and rural places. The overriding tendency at all levels of analysis has been the increasing spatial concentration of rural population." The authors observe that "this concentration assumes a variety of forms, from the concentration of rural population in the suburban zones of large cities and the immediate surroundings of rayon seats to a decline in the number of rural places (from 180,000 in 1959 to 118,000 in 1979) and the growth of local centers against a general background of rural population decline. The authors hint that the observed tendency is a positive development, in keeping with the policy of converting Soviet agriculture to a more intensive path of development."

The changing structure of nonmetropolitan migration in the American Deep South

"The United States and other post-industrial societies have recently undergone a form of population deconcentration characterized as rural-urban 'population turnaround'. This phenomenon may be attributed to changes in internal migration patterns. Explanations for such changes frequently imply that they have been accompanied by changes in the structure, or determinants, of migration. This study examines that thesis for a specific region, the American Deep South, for the 1950-1978 time period." The results suggest "that a structural transformation has occurred. During the 1950s, a decade of heavy net emigration, nonmetropolitan migration patterns were closely linked to the patterning of sustenance activity and metropolitan accessibility. By the 1970s, such linkages had weakened considerably. But this structural transformation can be detected in some parts of the region in the 1960s. Elsewhere, it still had not occurred in the 1970s."

The role of long distance migration in the rural renaissance, in gentrification, and in growth of the Sunbelt

The author "has examined trends in interstate migration during the 1970s for the four regions of the United States and, in particular, explored the relationship of this migration with nonmetropolitan expansion and the return to the city movement. The data show that the former trend is a very real one which has persisted throughout the decade and that population growth through interstate migration in nonmetropolitan America is, on balance, the result of nonblacks moving to the South from elsewhere in the nation. Except in the West, central cities continue to experience substantial losses of population through interstate migration. Interstate migration continues to be directed toward suburbs, and is especially vigorous in the West." Data are from the March 1975 and March 1979 Current Population Surveys.