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THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON
Telephone: WEStern 3173 Public Health Department,
Hornton Street,
Kensington, W.8.
1st June, 1961
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Royal Borough of Kensington.
My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have much pleasure in presenting the Annual Report on the
state of the public health in Kensington for 1960. The Minister of
Health has again requested (Circular l/6l) that the Report should be
generally in the same form as has been the case for some years past.
The public health in Kensington during the year under review
was maintained at a satisfactory standard.
Population. The population of the borough as ascertained at
the Census in 1951 was 168,160: but for the purpose of this report,
the population for 1960 has been estimated by the Registrar.General to
be 167,240. The estimated population figure for the previous year was
166,500.
Birth Rate. The number of live births per 1,000 population
of the borough was 18.4 in 1960, which compares with the figure of 18.1
for the previous year.
Death Rate. The number of deaths per 1,000 population in
1960 was 9.91, slightly lower than the death rate for the previous
year (9.93).
Area Comparability Factors for Birth and Death Rates. Comparisons
of crude birth and death rates between local areas are not
strictly valid since these rates take no account of the varying
composition of the populations of the different areas by sex and age.
In order to compare Kensington birth and death rates with
England and Wales as a whole, the Registrar.General has, in the case
of death rates since 1934, and, in the case of birth rates since
19491 supplied area comparability factors (A.C.Fs).
This is considered to be necessary as the proportion of
old people to young, and of males to females, varies considerably in
different districts. The local crude death rates are affected as
the mortality at the extremes of life is much greater than in the
middle period, and, at practically all ages, the mortality in females
is rather less than in males of corresponding ages. Similarly, so
far as the local birth rates are concerned, the child bearing component
of the population varies in different districts. In a borough such
as Kensington, which has a higher proportion of females amongst its
inhabitants compared with most other districts, the crude birth and
death rates cannot be compared satisfactorily with those of, say,
an industrial district, where the proportion of males is much higher.
The Registrar.General has supplied, for use in Kensington
in 1960, the figures 0.72 for births and 1.00 for deaths. The crude
birth and death rates for the borough should be multiplied by the
appropriate factor, and when so adjusted the results are comparable
with the crude rates for England and Wales or with the corresponding
adjusted rates for any other area.