Preface

In today's world, demographic analyses are of fundamental importance in making decisions about solving important public problems. Knowledge about the population is essential whether decisions are to be made at the local, regional, national, or international level. Moreover, recognizing demographic trends may allow public authorities to anticipate unfavorable changes and plan adequate responses. In this sense, demographic analysis always has both theoretical and practical aspects. Therefore, this volume includes chapters that contribute to the interpretation of processes and create recommendations for various public entities and policies.

*Demographic Analysis - Selected Concepts, Tools, and Applications* formulates an international mix of research based on various practical techniques and methods as well as examples of studies based on the usage of demographic analysis in various institutions and economic entities. The volume includes studies related to population distribution, urbanization, migration, population change and dynamics, aging, longevity, population theories, and population projections. The collection also shows relations of demographic analysis with areas such as demographic economics, political demography, population geography, epidemiology, and social gerontology.

The presented collection includes ten chapters prepared by fourteen authors from Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Tanzania, and the United States. It is a valuable resource for both academic and professional communities interested in advancing knowledge on diverse populations in various contexts such as public policies, public services, education, and labor markets. In addition, the book contains concepts and studies that may be helpful for students of demography and practitioners of various fields of social sciences, as well as those working in government, business, and nonprofit organizations.

The chapters comprising this volume are divided into three sections. The first section, "Selected Basics of Demographic Analysis," covers theoretical aspects of demographic studies and data collection. Chapter 1, "Introductory Chapter: Demographic Analysis," explains the rationale behind the book's main topic.

Chapter 2, "Demographic Analysis and the Decomposition of Social Change," focuses on converting micro-level relations into macro-level outcomes using decomposition methods. The chapter investigates three basic types of decomposition approaches (demographic, regression, and mathematical) and applies them to the example of mortality data.

Chapter 3, "Geographies of Ageing: A Visuospatial Approach to Demographic Change in Australia," shows a multi-layered approach to population aging with particular attention paid to visualization of urban and rural differences. Spatial diversity has a significant influence not only on the attitudes toward old age and older people but also on the development of health and social care systems, information exchanges, and service coordination.

The second section, "Demographic Analysis of Societies or Groups Defined by Various Criteria," includes chapters that focus on basic features such as population size, structure, gender, age, education, religion, nationality, or ethnicity.

Chapter 4, "Demographic Transition in Sub-Saharan Africa: From Grassroots to Ivory Towers," examines how the theory of demographic transition can be tested in the context of developing countries. The chapter critically assesses statistical principles and the philosophical basis of sub-Saharan Africa's demographic dividends from 1960 to 2000. The study also underlines the importance of heterogeneity of population groups.

Chapter 5, "Variations in First Union Dissolution Patterns among the Lebou, Peuhl, Sereer, Toucouleur, and Wolof in Senegal," explores differences in the union formation across diverse ethnic groups. The study is based on a biographical survey and event history analysis techniques. It highlights the complexity and the persistence of domestic and marital customs and traditions.

Chapter 6, "The Age-Sex Structure of Religion as a Determinant of the Social Inclusion of Internal Migrants in Maroua," focuses on a study based on the usage of the exponential non-discriminative snowball sampling method. The chapter shows that diverse religious groups create various types and levels of cultural capital that influence social relationships in Cameroon.

Chapter 7, "Age at First Marriage of Women in Bangladesh: Levels, Trends and Determinants," is based on univariate, bivariate, and multivariate techniques to analyze the data. The chapter summarizes knowledge regarding the levels, trends, and determinants of age at women's first marriage in Bangladesh. In addition, it underlines the influence of factors such as education and wealth on demographic events.

The last section examines "Demographic Analysis in Institutions, Organizations, and Public Policy." The selected chapters focus on issues relevant to the field such as human population planning, migration policies, health policy, climate change mitigation, and intergenerational relationships.

Chapter 8, "The City of L'Aquila after the 2009 Earthquake: Review of Connections between Depopulation, Identity and Continuity," discusses a complex Italian case study in which an extreme natural event influenced demographic events and processes. The devastating earthquake led to a progressive demographic depopulation and discourse about the future of the city and its inhabitants.

Chapter 9, "Health Seeking Behaviors among Displaced Populations/Refugees," examines issues related to acculturation and integration of migrants in the United States. The study underlines culture-dependent healthcare utilization patterns and is based on a mixed study. Also, it shows recommendations for health policy concerning the culturally diverse population.

Chapter 10, "Researching into Commitments for Sustainable Development Goals and Healthy Aging," summarizes debates around the public actions related to population aging. The study primarily focuses on the United Nations' strategic documents and policy ideas that are promoted mainly among stakeholders from public, private, and non-governmental entities all around the world.

**V**

process.

I would personally like to thank each and every author for their contributions to this book. Together, we make a small step to advance the field of demographic studies. I would also like to thank Jasna Bozic and Sandra Maljavac of IntechOpen, who, through excellent organizational skills, helped with the editorial and publication

**Andrzej Klimczuk**

Warsaw, Poland

SGH Warsaw School of Economics,

I would personally like to thank each and every author for their contributions to this book. Together, we make a small step to advance the field of demographic studies. I would also like to thank Jasna Bozic and Sandra Maljavac of IntechOpen, who, through excellent organizational skills, helped with the editorial and publication process.

> **Andrzej Klimczuk** SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw, Poland

Section 1
