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THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON
Telephone: WEStern 3173 Public Health Department,
Hornton Street,
Kensington, W.8.
1st June, 1962
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To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Royal Borough of Kensington.
My Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have much pleasure in presenting the Annual Report on the state
of the public health in Kensington for 1961. The Minister of Health has
again requested (Circular l/62) 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 1961 was 170,891, but for the purpose of this report, the
population for 1961 has been estimated by the Registrar-General to be
169,080. The estimated population figure for the previous year was
167,240.
Birth Rate. The number of live births per 1,000 population of
the borough was 19.5 in 1961 which compares with the figure of 18.4 for
the previous year.
Death Rate. The number of deaths per 1,000 population in 1961
was 10.24, slightly higher than the death rate for the previous year (9.91).
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 1949, 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
1961, the figures 0.72 for births said 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.