An annual survey examined health and health-related behaviours in adults and children living in private households in England. 41 per cent of men, and 43 per cent of women, reported having a longstanding illness. The percentage of adults who were obese had increased from 13 per cent of men in 1993 to 22 per cent in 2009; and from 16 per cent of women to 24 per cent. Between 1995 and 2009, the prevalence of obesity among boys aged 2-15 increased from 11 to 16 per cent, and for girls from 12 to 15 per cent. Men and women in the lowest income bracket were three times more likely than those in the highest income bracket to have kidney disease and to smoke.
Source: Health Survey for England 2009, NHS Information Centre
Links: Report part 1 | Report part 2 | Summary | UCL press release
Date: 2010-Dec
A paper described a literature review of what was known about the health impact of previous recessions and their aftermaths, and a qualitative case study of perceived existing and potential health impacts on relevant statutory and voluntary services in two contrasting local authority areas in Wales.
Source: Eva Elliott, Emily Harrop, Heather Rothwell, Michael Shepherd and Gareth Williams, The Impact of the Economic Downturn on Health in Wales: A review and case study, Working Paper 134, School of Social Sciences/Cardiff University
Links: Paper | Cardiff University press release
Date: 2010-Dec
A paper examined ethnic differences in overweight and obese boys and girls aged 2-15 in England. Interventions aimed at reducing childhood overweight/obesity should focus on parental characteristics: but they also needed to be sensitive to gender and ethnic differences.
Source: Vanessa Higgins and Angela Dale, Ethnic differences in overweight and obese children in England, Working Paper 2010-07, Centre for Census and Survey Research/University of Manchester
Links: Paper
Date: 2010-Dec
A study examined the effect of deprivation on childhood obesity levels among ethnic groups in London.
Source: Alexandra Cronberg, Helen Munro Wild, Justine Fitzpatrick and Bobbie Jacobson, Causes of Childhood Obesity in London: Diversity or poverty? The effect of deprivation on childhood obesity levels among ethnic groups in London, London Health Observatory
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Nov
A report said that alcohol consumption in Wales had risen 'massively' in recent decades, with many people drinking well beyond the recommended guidelines. It recommended a minimum price of 50p per unit for all alcoholic drinks, wherever sold; clear display of he number of units of each drink; giving local authorities more power to refuse alcohol licenses; and devolving powers over the licensing and pricing of alcohol to the National Assembly for Wales.
Source: Andrew Misell, A Drinking Nation? Wales and alcohol, Alcohol Concern Cymru
Links: Report | Alcohol Concern press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Nov
An article examined the relative harm caused by different drugs. Heroin, crack cocaine, and metamfetamine were the most harmful drugs to individuals – whereas alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine were the most harmful to others. Overall, alcohol was the most harmful drug.
Source: David Nutt, Leslie King and Lawrence Phillips, 'Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis', The Lancet 6 November 2010
Links: Abstract | Imperial College press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Nov
A paper drew together estimates for the economic burden of obesity and overweight in terms of both direct costs to the National Health Service and indirect costs to wider society.
Source: Monica Dent, The Economic Burden of Obesity, National Obesity Observatory
Links: Paper
Date: 2010-Oct
A report said that alcohol consumption by children and young people under 18 remained a significant problem. Although government policy had often focused on how to tackle alcohol as a public nuisance issue, insufficient attention had been paid to the health problems that young drinkers faced.
Source: Tom Smith and Anna Curran, Right Time, Right Place: Alcohol-harm reduction strategies with children and young people, Alcohol Concern
Links: Report | Alcohol Concern press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Oct
A report examined the impact on children of parental alcohol misuse. An estimated 2.6 million children lived with a parent whose drinking put them at risk of neglect, and 705, 000 lived with a dependent drinker. The report called for a national inquiry into the scale of harm involved, and for improved resources to protect children.
Source: Anne Delargy, Don Shenker, Jo Manning and Anna-Joy Rickard, Swept Under the Carpet: Children affected by parental alcohol misuse, Alcohol Concern
Links: Report | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Oct
An article said that health and social services were facing a new challenge, as many users of illicit drugs got older and faced chronic health problems and a reduced quality of life.
Source: Brenda Roe, Caryl Beynon, Lucy Pickering and Paul Duffy, 'Experiences of drug use and ageing: health, quality of life, relationship and service implications', Journal of Advanced Nursing, Volume 66 Issue 9
Date: 2010-Sep
A think-tank report examined the inter-relationship between long-term physical and mental health conditions, and the impact of these conditions on productivity and work participation. It recommended ways to reduce the burden that they placed on the economy and workforce.
Source: Katherine Ashby and Robin McGee, Body and Soul: Exploring the connection between physical and mental health conditions, Work Foundation
Date: 2010-Sep
A new book examined recent policy on illicit drugs. Problematic drug use could only be understood in the social context in which it took place – a context that it shared with other problems of crime and public health.
Source: Alex Stevens, Drugs, Crime and Public Health: The political economy of drug policy, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Sep
A study found that the extreme stigma attached to drug addiction represented a 'massive obstacle' to rehabilitation and recovery – hindering access to treatment, work, and housing, and to rejoining society.
Source: Charlie Lloyd, Sinning & Sinned Against: The stigmatisation of problem drug users, UK Drug Policy Commission
Links: Report | UKDPC press release | DrugScope press release | York University press release | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Aug
An article examined the relationship between education and alcohol consumption. Individuals who achieved high educational test scores in childhood were at a significantly higher risk of abusing alcohol across all dimensions investigated.
Source: Maria Huerta and Francesca Borgonovi, 'Education, alcohol use and abuse among young adults in Britain', Social Science & Medicine, Volume 71 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jul
An article examined the association between overtime work and coronary heart disease (CHD) among middle-aged employees. Overtime work was related to increased risk of CHD independently of conventional risk factors, suggesting that overtime work adversely affected coronary health.
Source: Marianna Virtanen et al., 'Overtime work and incident coronary heart disease: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study', European Heart Journal, Volume 31 Issue 14
Links: Article | Abstract | UCL press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Jul
A literature review examined evidence on drinking patterns among minority-ethnic groups over the previous 15 years and on service provision for this group.
Source: Rachel Hurcombe, Mariana Bayley and Anthony Goodman, Ethnicity and Alcohol: A review of the UK literature, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2010-Jul
An article said that nearly the whole adult population of Scotland (97.5 per cent) reported at least one behavioural risk factor to their health; 55 per cent had three or more risk factors; and nearly 20 per cent had either four or five (all) risk factors. The most important determinants for having four or five multiple risk factors were low educational attainment and residence in the most deprived communities.
Source: Richard Lawder et al., 'Is the Scottish population living dangerously? Prevalence of multiple risk factors: the Scottish Health Survey 2003', BMC Public Health, Volume 10
Links: Abstract | BBC report | Nursing Times report
Date: 2010-Jun
A report said that demographic changes meant that workers in the future would generally be sicker and older. Greater efforts were needed to improve the effectiveness of workplace health provision and support.
Source: Helen Vaughan-Jones and Leela Barham, Healthy Work: Evidence into action, British United Provident Association
Links: Report | Work Foundation blog | Personnel Today report
Date: 2010-Jun
A study found that unhealthy drinking accounted for 55-82 per cent (depending on definition) of total consumption by those aged 18-64. It considered the implications for claims by the drinks industry that it was interested in promoting sensible drinking.
Source: Ben Baumberg, Conflict of Interest in the Alcoholic Drinks Industry: How important are 'unhealthy drinkers' in total UK consumption?, Institute of Alcohol Studies
Links: Paper | Alcohol Policy press release
Date: 2010-Jun
A study examined the relationship between human capital (measured by highest education levels and basic skills) and three health-related outcomes – drinking, smoking, and body weight.
Source: Augustin de Coulon, Elena Meschi and Marisa Yates, Education, Basic Skills and Health-Related Outcomes, National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy
Links: Report
Date: 2010-May
An article estimated the effect of increases in age on a variety of health problems that affected paid work. There was considerable diversity in the relationships between age and the reported prevalence of health problems.
Source: Imanol Nunez, 'The effects of age on health problems that affect the capacity to work: an analysis of United Kingdom labour-force data', Ageing and Society, Volume 30 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Apr
A report said that employers should not ignore the impact of 'sickness presence' (attending work when self-perception of health justified taking time off), because it related to lower performance, higher sickness absence, higher work-related stress, and poorer psychological well-being.
Source: Katherine Ashby and Michelle Mahdon, Why Do Employees Come to Work When Ill? An investigation into sickness presence in the workplace, Work Foundation
Links: Report | Work Foundation press release | People Management report
Date: 2010-Apr
A report presented statistics on self-reported work-related illness and workplace injuries in Great Britain for the period 2008-09. Illness and injury rates were significantly lower than in five of the previous seven years.
Source: Self-Reported Work-Related Illness and Workplace Injuries in 2008/09: Results from the Labour Force Survey, Health and Safety Executive
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Apr
A report by a committee of MPs said that air pollution on streets was contributing to tens of thousands of early deaths each year, and that the government was not doing enough to tackle the problem.
Source: Air Quality, Fifth Report (Session 2009-10), HC 229, House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Mar
An annual report summarized research data and information on illegal drug use in the United Kingdom in 2009.
Source: Charlotte Davies, Layla English, Alan Lodwick, Jim McVeigh and Mark Bellis (eds.), United Kingdom Drug Situation: 2009 Edition – UK Focal Point on Drugs, Department of Health
Links: Report | DEF press release
Date: 2010-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs welcomed the 'substantial progress' made towards the target of all social housing being of a decent standard by December 2010. However, despite this progress, the target would not be met. The government needed to do more to ensure that landlords could complete the outstanding work and that properties were not allowed to fall back into disrepair.
Source: The Decent Homes Programme, Twenty-first Report (Session 2009-10), HC 350, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report said that passive smoking in the home was a major hazard to the health of the millions of children who lived with smokers. It called for a comprehensive tobacco control strategy, including: sustained increases in the real price of tobacco; further reductions in smuggling and illicit trade; investment in new and innovative mass media campaigns targeting smoking in younger adults; more effective health warnings; prohibition of point-of-sale display; generic standardized packaging; and tailored cessation services.
Source: Passive Smoking and Children, Tobacco Advisory Group/Royal College of Physicians
Links: Summary | RCP press release | RCN press release | Bath University press release | York University press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report | BBC report | Nursing Times report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs said that the 'Decent Homes' programme had had a 'dramatic positive effect' on the living conditions of most social housing tenants: but the government had failed to invest enough resources in the parallel programme to improve homes occupied by vulnerable people in the private sector.
Source: Beyond Decent Homes, Fourth Report (Session 2009-10), HC 60, House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | Care & Repair England press release | New Start report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report (by an official advisory body) examined the government's progress in addressing the hazardous use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs by young people. Despite 'significant progress' there was further work to be done – chiefly around young people's exposure to alcohol.
Source: Pathways to Problems: A Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from Pathways to Problems, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
Links: Report | ACMD press release
Date: 2010-Mar
A report said that 8 out of 10 men in England, and almost 7 in 10 women, would be overweight or obese by 2020.
Source: Martin Brown, Klim McPherson, Tim Marsh and Tom Byatt, Obesity Trends for Adults: Analysis from the Health Survey for England 1993-2007, National Heart Forum
Links: NHF press release | Guardian report | Nursing Times report
Date: 2010-Feb
A report said that the impact of dementia on society and the economy had been significantly underestimated. 820,000 people were affected by dementia, costing the economy £23 billion each year. Previous estimates had put the number of people living with dementia at 700,000.
Source: Ramon Luengo-Fernandez, Jose Leal and Alastair Gray, Dementia 2010: The economic burden of dementia and associated research funding in the United Kingdom, Alzheimer's Research Trust
Links: Report | Summary | ART press release | Oxford University press release | Alzheimers Society press release | ECCA press release | Community Care report | Guardian report | Nursing Times report
Date: 2010-Feb
Researchers examined how children's behaviour might be influenced by their parents' attitudes and behaviour towards alcohol. 1 in 4 of the children interviewed said their parents had never talked to them about alcohol.
Source: Bridget Williams, Laura Davies and Vicki Wright, Children, Young People and Alcohol, Research Report RR195, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Feb
A study found that alcohol misuse in Scotland was costing taxpayers between £2.4 billion and £4.6 billion each year.
Source: York Health Economics Consortium, The Societal Cost of Alcohol Misuse in Scotland for 2007, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Summary | Scottish Government press release | SNP press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Jan
A report by a committee of peers called for more research into the use of nanomaterials in food, and in particular the dangers for the human body.
Source: Nanotechnologies and Food, First Report (Session 2009-10), HL 22, House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | RCUK press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Jan
An article examined internal marketing documents from alcohol producers and their communications agencies, in order to understand the thinking and strategic planning that underpinned alcohol advertising. Although the content of alcohol advertisements was restricted, advertisers were still managing to appeal to young people and promote drinking.
Source: Gerard Hastings et al., 'Failure of self regulation of UK alcohol advertising', British Medical Journal, 20 January 2010
Links: Article | Advertising Association press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Jan
A report by a committee of MPs expressed concerned that government policies on alcohol were too influenced by the drinks industry and the supermarkets. A more comprehensive alcohol policy was required, that made use of all the mechanisms available to policy-makers: the price mechanism, controls on availability and marketing, and improvements in National Health Service services, as well education and information.
Source: Alcohol, First Report (Session 2009-10), HC 151, House of Commons Health Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | NICE press release | BMA press release | Advertising Association press release | NHS Confederation press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2010-Jan
A briefing paper said that treating alcohol-related conditions cost the National Health Service approximately £2.7 billion in 2006-07 – almost double the 2001 cost.
Source: Too Much of the Hard Stuff: What alcohol costs the NHS, NHS Confederation and Royal College of Physicians
Links: Paper | NHS Confederation press release | BBC report | Nursing Times report
Date: 2010-Jan
