Final answer:
The epidemiologic transition describes the changes in predominant causes of death correlating with the demographic transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as a society develops.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Epidemiologic Transition
The epidemiologic transition is an aspect of the broader concept known as the demographic transition. This theory outlines the transformation a society undergoes in population patterns as it advances from a pre-industrial to an industrialized economic system. Initially, undeveloped countries experience high birth rates and high death rates; as conditions improve due to advancements in medical care, technology, and resources, death rates decline. Over time, birth rates also start to decline, leading to population stabilization. This transition coincides with changes in the prevalent causes of death, reflective of each stage in the demographic transition.
Historical data from societies around the world, chiefly based on the experience of Western Europe, illustrates this shift. The transition consists of four stages, ranging from a pre-industrial society with high birth and death rates to a post-industrial society with low birth and death rates. The demographic transition theory effectively predicts that future population growth will advance through these stages in a predictable manner.
The epidemiologic transition specifically refers to the change in distinctive causes of death associated with each of these stages, highlighting the shift from infectious and communicable diseases to chronic and non-communicable diseases as a population progresses.