OCR A-Level Geography Geographical debates (03), June 2025: Question 2
9 marks · Medium difficulty · Short Answer
Identify three limitations of a graph showing alcohol-related deaths and explain how physical barriers affect dealing with disease.
Practise this questionQuestion
Question text
(a) Identify three limitations of Fig. 2 as a source of information about alcohol‑related deaths. [3]
(b) Explain how physical barriers affect dealing with disease. [6]
Mark scheme
Show the mark scheme
Question Answer Mark Guidance
2 (a) Identify three limitations of Fig. 2 as a source of information about alcohol- 3 AO3 – 3 marks
related deaths. AO3
Line graph shows alcohol-related deaths for Scotland and England from 2006 – x3 3x1 (SEEN) for three limitations of the data identified
2013. through critical questioning of the resource.
Possible limitations include:
• Relies on country average, doesn’t show regional differences. Annotate as SEEN on script, one for each limitation.
• Relies on annual average, doesn’t show change over the year.
• Out of date – most recent data 2013, more than decade old. If 0 marks are recorded, needs to be annotated
• Time scale is short – less than a decade. at the end of the answer.
• No data source→ possible bias
• Data presentation – not continuous data – bar graph more appropriate for
annual data.
• X axis exaggerates the data.
• Orientation of graph is not as expected → confusing.
• Only relates to England and Scotland – absence of rest of UK.
• Reliability of data – how is alcohol-related deaths defined / classified.
• Lack of information about;
o exact number of alcohol-related deaths for each country
o distribution of deaths by age/gender (demographics)
2 (b) Explain how physical barriers affect dealing with disease. 6 Indicative content
Level 3 (5-6 marks) AO1 AO1 – 6 marks
Demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of how physical barriers x6 Knowledge and understanding of how physical barriers
affect dealing with disease (AO1). affect dealing with disease could potentially include:
This will be shown by including well-developed ideas about how physical barriers • Physical barriers e.g. mountains, oceans, deserts,
affect dealing with disease. lakes
Level 2 (3-4 marks) • Can be positive and negative.
Demonstrates reasonable knowledge and understanding of how physical barriers • ‘Dealing with disease’ can include spread and/or
affect dealing with disease (AO1). management.
This will be shown by including developed ideas about how physical barriers
affect dealing with disease. • Certain diseases, e.g. malaria will only survive in
Level 1 (1–2 marks) specific environmental conditions.
Demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding of how physical barriers affect • Isolated communities e.g. remote island,
dealing with disease (AO1). mountainous region, rainforest = ↑ restriction /
There may be simple ideas about how physical barriers affect dealing with challenge in access to healthcare, administer
disease. vaccines, delay medical assistance.
0 marks • Can be a positive factor e.g. CV19, isolation would
No response or no response worthy of credit. reduce diffusion of disease either protecting
isolated community or slow disease spread to
How to answer it
Evaluating Disease Data & The Role of Physical Barriers
What this question tests
This two-part question assesses core geographical skills and conceptual understanding from the Disease Dilemmas topic:
- AO3 (Graphical Evaluation): Critical questioning of data presentation, source reliability, aggregation bias, and missing epidemiological variables from a stimulus graph.
- AO1 (Geographical Knowledge & Understanding): Explaining the dual role of physical barriers (mountains, oceans, deserts) in both restricting disease diffusion (positive) and impeding medical mitigation and healthcare delivery (negative).
Question 2(a): Identifying Limitations of Stimulus Data
Identify three limitations of Fig. 2 as a source of information about alcohol-related deaths.
✅ Creditworthy Limitations (Pick Any 3)
- Spatial aggregation: Relies on national averages for England and Scotland; masks regional or local variations (e.g. urban vs rural).
- Temporal resolution: Annual data conceals seasonal fluctuations or spikes during holidays.
- Outdated timeframe: Data terminates in 2013 (over a decade old), so it fails to reflect current public health trends or interventions.
- Narrow scope: Omit other UK nations (Wales and Northern Ireland), preventing a complete UK-wide analysis.
- Missing demographic data: Lacks breakdown by age, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
- Undefined terms / reliability: Fails to define how an "alcohol-related death" is classified or recorded (diagnostic consistency).
- Missing absolute values: Shows only rates or averages without stating the total number of deaths.
- Graphical presentation: A line graph suggests continuous temporal tracking where a bar chart might suit discrete annual counts better; absence of an identified source risks unverified bias.
🧠 Exam Technique: Data Critique
Use the "STAD" checklist whenever evaluating an unfamiliar stimulus graph:
- S – Scale / Space: Is data overly aggregated? Are regional disparities hidden?
- T – Time: Is the period too short? Is the data out of date? Are seasonal patterns masked?
- A – Attributes: What demographic variables (age, sex, income) are missing?
- D – Definitions / Provenance: Is there a clear source cited? Are medical classifications consistent?
❌ Common Errors in Part (a)
- Describing trends instead of evaluating: Writing "Scotland has higher alcohol deaths than England" gets 0 marks. You must state why the graph is limited as a source.
- Vague complaints: Stating "it's not clear" or "the graph is confusing" without identifying an axis, scaling, or presentation fault.
- Repeating the same point: Giving "no age breakdown" and "no gender breakdown" as two separate points often gets credited as only one demographic limitation.
Question 2(b): Physical Barriers and Disease Management
Explain how physical barriers affect dealing with disease.
Level 3 (5–6 marks) Thorough knowledge & understanding; well-developed ideas showing both positive and negative effects with named examples.
Level 2 (3–4 marks) Reasonable knowledge & understanding; developed ideas covering barriers and disease responses.
Level 1 (1–2 marks) Basic/isolated points; descriptive with simple ideas.
💡 Key Knowledge: The Two Sides of "Dealing With Disease"
Top answers recognise that "dealing with disease" includes both controlling disease diffusion (spread) and delivering mitigation / treatment (management):
- Physical Barriers: Oceans, mountain ranges, wide rivers, arid deserts, dense rainforests, extreme climate/altitude.
- Positive Effects (Restricting Diffusion):
- Act as natural quarantine buffers preventing contagious diffusion between human populations (e.g. island isolation during COVID-19 in New Zealand/Iceland).
- Environmental limits prevent vector survival (e.g. Anopheles mosquitoes cannot breed at high altitudes or in arid deserts due to cold temperatures and lack of standing water).
- Negative Effects (Impeding Healthcare Delivery):
- Rugged topography (e.g. mountainous Nepal or Papua New Guinea) isolates settlements, cutting off road access.
- Hinders emergency medical response, mobile clinics, and vaccination programmes (challenges maintaining the cold chain for temperature-sensitive vaccines).
- Limits construction of permanent healthcare infrastructure and slows epidemiologic surveillance.
🧠 Structuring a Level 3 Answer (6/6 Marks)
To access Level 3, you must build well-developed chains of explanation and address both sides of the prompt:
- Point 1 (Positive Barrier / Spread): Explain how natural geographic features restrict vector habitats or human movement.
Barrier → Impact on Vector/Transmission → Disease Managed - Point 2 (Negative Barrier / Healthcare Access): Explain how physical isolation hinders medical logistics and vaccine rollout.
Terrain → Transport/Logistical Breakdown → Disease Uncontrolled - Detailed Geography: Integrate specific diseases (e.g. Malaria, COVID-19, Cholera) and geographic settings (e.g. East African Highlands, remote Pacific islands, the Amazon Basin).
Model Paragraph Fragment (High Level 3)
"Physical barriers such as high relief significantly alter disease vector ecology, helping to manage transmission. For example, vector-borne diseases like malaria are restricted by altitude and temperature; at elevations above ~1,500m in the East African Highlands, lower ambient temperatures interrupt the development cycle of the Plasmodium parasite within Anopheles mosquitoes. Thus, mountain barriers naturally suppress diffusion."
"Conversely, physical barriers severely hinder logistical responses to disease outbreaks. In remote island archipelagos or dense rainforest environments like the Democratic Republic of Congo, rivers and dense canopy limit overland transport. This delays medical personnel responding to Ebola or measles outbreaks and makes maintaining an unbroken cold-chain for temperature-sensitive vaccines exceptionally difficult, leaving isolated populations vulnerable."
❌ Common Errors in Part (b)
- One-sided answers: Only discussing how mountains make it hard to get to a hospital, completely ignoring physical barriers as natural limiters of diffusion.
- Confusing physical with socioeconomic barriers: Writing about poverty, lack of education, or corrupt governance. The question specifies physical barriers (relief, oceans, climate).
- Vague disease references: Saying "the sickness" or "germs" instead of naming specific infectious or vector-borne diseases (e.g. malaria, cholera, influenza).
Topics
Topic 3.2 Disease Dilemmas · 3.b. Noncommunicable diseases have causes and impacts with mitigation and response strategies which have varying levels of success. · 4.b. Mitigation strategies to combat global pandemics and overcome physical barriers
Question and mark scheme from the OCR A-Level Geography examination, Geographical debates (03), June 2025. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.