A report said that almost 1 in 4 of children aged 4-5 were either overweight or obese. For those aged 10-11 the rate was nearly 1 in 3.
Source: National Child Measurement Programme: 2007/08 School Year Headline Results, NHS Information Centre (0845 300 6016)
Links: Report | DH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Dec
In the period July 2007 to June 2008, around 5.8 million scheduled working days were lost to sickness or injury – 1.5 per cent of scheduled working days. This was slightly lower than in the previous year. Women, and those working in the public sector, were most likely to be absent from work because of sickness or injury.
Source: Debra Leaker, 'Sickness absence from work in the UK', Economic & Labour Market Review, November 2008, Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Article | ONS press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Nov
The 2006 English House Condition Survey was published. In 2006, there were 22 million homes in England, of which 7.7 million homes were 'non-decent', under the updated definition of the decent homes standard. 29 per cent of social housing was non-decent, compared to 35 per cent of owner-occupied housing and 47 per cent of private rented accommodation.
Source: English House Condition Survey 2006: Annual Report, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Summary | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Nov
A qualitative research project examined the use of alcohol among children and young people. Under-age drinking was recognized as an 'issue' by respondents, who claimed to see visible evidence of harm (social nuisance, accidents): but responsibility for the issue was felt to rest with others.
Source: Define Research and Insight, Use of Alcohol Among Children and Young People: Final Report, Research Report RW043, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2008-Oct
Statistics published by the health and safety watchdog showed a reduction in the number of people killed, injured, or made ill by work during 2007-08 compared with the previous year.
Source: Health and Safety Statistics 2007-08, Health and Safety Executive, HSE Books (01787 881165)
Links: Report | HSE press release | TUC press release | IOSH press release | Personnel Today report | People Management report
Date: 2008-Oct
A think-tank report examined the significance of mental ill-health for businesses and society, the benefits of remaining in employment for those with mental health conditions, and the barriers to doing so. It said that employers should be encouraged to take on responsibility for the provision of appropriate support, and advocated a range of mechanisms which the government should explore to offer effective incentives.
Source: Jessica Prendergrast, Beth Foley and Tom Richmond, Shifting Responsibilities, Sharing Costs: The mental health challenge for welfare reform, Social Market Foundation (020 7222 7060)
Links: Report | DWP press release | Speech | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Oct
An article examined the relationship between housing conditions and health. Worsening housing conditions, measured in three domains, were independently associated with deterioration in health, especially the number of reported health problems in women.
Source: David Pevalin, Mark Taylor and Jennifer Todd, 'The dynamics of unhealthy housing in the UK: a panel data analysis', Housing Studies, Volume 23 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Sep
A report said that the longer children lived in bad housing, the more likely they were to suffer from health problems, get bullied, and struggle to keep up with homework. Policy-makers needed to address the various ways bad housing appeared to detrimentally affect outcomes for children, and focus on reducing the substantial number of children who lived in bad housing for long periods.
Source: Matt Barnes, Sarah Butt and Wojtek Tomaszewski, What Happens to Children in Persistently Bad Housing?, National Centre for Social Research (020 7250 1866)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-Sep
A report provided a broad overview of the issue of obesity. It examined where the prevalence of obesity was highest; why obesity was on the increase; health risks associated with obesity; the costs of obesity to the National Health Service and economy; and government policy for the prevention and management of obesity.
Source: Weighing Up the Burden of Obesity, Dr Foster Ltd (020 7330 0400)
Links: Report | Dr Foster press release
Date: 2008-Sep
A report summarized the evidence for the impact of buildings on human health and safety, including the effects of overcrowded housing conditions on physical and mental well-being.
Source: Review of Health and Safety Risk Drivers, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Sep
A report summarized the key findings from a module in the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2007, exploring attitudes to drinking and the role of alcohol in Scottish culture. Many people (67 per cent) believed that 'drinking was a major part of the Scottish way of life': at the same time, nearly half (48 per cent) saw the amount of alcohol people in Scotland drank as something to be ashamed of.
Source: Rachel Ormston and Catriona Webster, Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2007: Something to be Ashamed of or Part of Our Way of Life? Attitudes towards alcohol in Scotland, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Date: 2008-Aug
A report said that the long-standing agreement between the government and alcohol trade associations in England – whereby licensees conformed to set standards of sales practices through largely voluntary means – was failing to safeguard the public.
Source: Unequal Partners: A report into the limitations of the alcohol regulatory regime, Alcohol Concern (020 7928 7377)
Links: Report | Alcohol Concern press release
Date: 2008-Jul
A report said that the annual cost of alcohol misuse to the National Health Service in England was £2.7 billion, compared to the £1.4-1.7 billion previously estimated in 2003. Increased hospital admissions, and higher estimates of 'higher risk' drinking prevalence, were taken into account.
Source: The Cost of Alcohol Harm to the NHS in England: An update to the Cabinet Office (2003) study, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report | DH press release | CPH press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jul
A study found that in 2007 workplace bullying cost society approximately £682.5 million; and that work-related stress cost approximately £4.55 billion.
Source: Sabir Giga, Helge Hoel and Duncan Lewis, The Costs of Workplace Bullying, Dignity at Work Partnership (Unite and Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) (0845 850 4242)
Links: Report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2008-Jul
A report examined the relationships between alcohol consumption and ill-health and mortality. Figures for England suggested that the scale of alcohol-related hospital admissions was much higher than previously thought – at 800,000 per year, rather than the previous estimate of 200,000.
Source: Hospital Admissions for Alcohol-related Harm (National Indicator 39): Supporting documents and tools, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report | DH press release | CPH press release | Alcohol Concern press release | BMA press release | Christian Institute press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Jul
A report examined the impact of diseases and illness on the population and economy, in order to determine future health research and development priorities.
Source: Stephen Green and Rebecca Miles, The Burden of Disease and Illness in the UK: A preliminary assessment to inform the development of UK health research and development priorities, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Jun
Hospital admissions linked to alcohol use more than doubled in England between 1995-96 and 2006-07.
Source: Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2008, NHS Information Centre (0845 300 6016)
Links: Report | RCP press release | Turning Point press release | Age Concern press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-May
The health and safety at work inspectorate said that more than 1 million workers were estimated to be suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their existing or previous work, with the highest prevalence rates in health and social work, public administration and defence, and construction.
Source: Self-reported Work-related Illness and Workplace Injuries in 2006/07: Results from the Labour Force Survey, Health and Safety Executive, HSE Books (01787 881165)
Links: Report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2008-May
A report highlighted the negative effect that parents' chronic drinking could have on their children's well-being. Approximately 1 million children lived with a parent who was dependent on drink. Children of problem drinkers could experience long-term psychological damage into adulthood, and services to support both young carers and alcohol-dependent parents were too scarce.
Source: Don Shenker, Keeping It In The Family: Growing up with parents who misuse alcohol, Alcohol Concern (020 7928 7377) and Princess Royal Trust for Carers
Links: Report | Alcohol Concern press release | PRTC press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Apr
A report said that almost 1 in 3 adults admitted to hospitals and care homes were found to be malnourished. Much of the malnutrition originated in the community. Consistent and integrated strategies to detect, prevent, and treat malnutrition should exist within and between all care settings.
Source: Nutrition Screening Survey in the UK in 2007, British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (01527 457850)
Links: Report | BAPEN press release | Help the Aged press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Apr
An article examined whether neighbourhoods defined in different ways had similar implications for health studies. The effect of neighbourhood conditions needed to be looked at using several different ways to define neighbourhoods, and the size and composition of these neighbourhoods might be different in different parts of a study area.
Source: Robin Flowerdew, David Manley and Clive Sabel, 'Neighbourhood effects on health: does it matter where you draw the boundaries?', Social Science & Medicine Volume 66 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Mar
A report examined the possible health effects of climate change. The United Kingdom was adapting well to rising temperatures experienced since the 1970s: but heatwaves posed an increasing risk to health, and there was an increased risk of flooding.
Source: Sari Kovats (ed.), Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK 2008, Department of Health (08701 555455) and Health Protection Agency
Links: Report | HPA press release | NHS Confederation press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Feb
Nearly 1 in 4 children starting primary school were either overweight or obese. By the time they left aged 11, the proportion had risen to 1 in 3.
Source: Press release 21 February 2008, Department of Health (020 7210 4850)
Links: DH press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | BBC report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2008-Feb
A survey found that drinking to get drunk ('binge drinking') was increasingly prevalent among young people as young as 13, with serious consequences to health and crime. However, it also showed that young people thought that sport and art activities could help them control their drinking.
Source: Simon Talbot and Tim Crabbe, Binge Drinking: Young people's attitudes and behaviour, Crime Concern (01925 577122)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jan
Researchers examined the relationship between work and health among older men. Exposure to work-related and work-caused ill-health had consequences for life expectancy and chronic disease in older age.
Source: Gillian Granville and Maria Evandrou, Older Men, Work and Health: Reviewing the evidence, The Age and Employment Network (020 7843 1590)
Links: Report | TAEN press release
Date: 2008-Jan
The alcohol-related death rate in the United Kingdom continued to increase in 2006, rising from 12.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 2005 to 13.4 in 2006. Rates had almost doubled from 6.9 per 100,000 in 1991.
Source: Press release 25 January 2008, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: ONS press release | RCP press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2008-Jan
A paper examined the relationship between common sources of airborne pollution and population mortality in England. Higher levels of particulate matter and ozone were associated with higher mortality rates. The size of the effects translated into around 4,500 deaths per annum.
Source: Katharina Janke, Carol Propper and John Henderson, Are Current Levels of Air Pollution in England Too High? The impact of pollution on population mortality, CASEpaper 128, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Date: 2008-Jan
