Health in the United Kingdom

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Health gap in England and Wales, 2011 Census Health gap in England and Wales, 2011 Census.png
Health gap in England and Wales, 2011 Census

Health in the United Kingdom refers to the overall health of the population of the United Kingdom. This includes overall trends such as life expectancy and mortality rates, mental health of the population and the suicide rate, smoking rates, alcohol consumption, prevalence of diseases within the population and obesity in the United Kingdom. Three of these, smoking rates, alcohol consumption and obesity are above the OECD average. [1]

Contents

Life expectancy in the country has consistently risen from the 18th century onward however in recent years since 2011 has stagnated and slowed down. This correlates with the additional decline of infant and general mortality rates as well since the 18th century. Social trends such as obesity rates within the country have consistently risen since the 1970's while smoking rates have consistently decreased since then. The prevalence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS is minuscule, with only 0.16% of the population affected by it.

Health status

The Nuffield Trust and the Association for Young People's Health produced a report on the health of young people in February 2019, comparing the UK with 18 other similar European countries. They found that the UK had the highest rates of obesity, the highest rate of young people living with a longstanding condition, apart from Finland and Sweden, and, among 11 year olds, very low rates of exercise. The death rate from asthma and the teenage pregnancy rate were both amongst the highest. Indicators for obesity, longstanding illness, severe material deprivation and exercise levels were all deteriorating. [2]

General health (self-identified)England and Wales
2001 [3] 2011 [4] 2021 [5]
Number%Number%Number%
Very good health35,676,21068.6%26,434,40947.1%28,827,30848.4%
Good health19,094,82034.1%20,046,22033.6%
Fair health11,568,36322.2%7,401,88113.2%7,597,00112.7%
Bad health4,797,3439.2%2,428,6684.3%2,412,3584.0%
Very bad health716,1341.3%714,6551.2%
Total52,041,916100%56,075,912100%59,597,542100.0%

Life expectancy

Life expectancy at birth in UK Life expectancy by WBG -United Kingdom.png
Life expectancy at birth in UK

In 2013 Life expectancy at birth for women was 83 years and for men 79 years. [6] Life expectancy in the UK is rising more slowly than in other comparable nations. Austerity may be a cause. [7] Underfunding of the NHS and Social care are blamed. [8] In 2018 life expectancy in the UK stopped increasing for the first time since 1982 when recording started. [9] There were 50,100 excess deaths during winter 2017/2018 mostly among older people. This is the highest since 1976. Cold weather and problems with flu vaccine are blamed in addition to the claim that the NHS was underresourced, doctors and groups representing older people argue not enough was done to keep older people warm and safe. [10]

Infant mortality

The reduction in infant mortality between 1960 and 2008 for the United Kingdom in comparison with France, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The overall trend has meant a large improvement in health inside the United Kingdom. First-World-Infant-Mortality-Trends.jpg
The reduction in infant mortality between 1960 and 2008 for the United Kingdom in comparison with France, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The overall trend has meant a large improvement in health inside the United Kingdom.

Infant mortality rates have been decreasing since the early 1840s, due to general improvements in sanitation and diet and more recently because of improvements in midwifery and neonatal intensive care. [11]

Obesity

The rising rates of childhood obesity were described as a "national emergency" by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in February 2016. [12] 28.1% of adults in the United Kingdom were recognised as clinically obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 in 2014. [13] The increasing numbers of people with obesity leads to the growing number of diabetes diagnoses. [14]

Diabetes

Diabetes is a major concern in the UK as the number of diagnoses have doubled in the past 15 years. In 2021 there were 4.1 million people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes, 90% of them having type 2. There were a further 1 million people with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and 13.6 million people were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, half of which could be prevented. [14]

Smoking rates

In 1974, 45% of the British population smoked. The smoking rate was down to 30% by the early-1990s, 21% by 2010, and 19.3% by 2013, the lowest level for eighty years. [15] In 2015, smoking rates in England had fallen to 16.9%. [16]

Cancer

There were 361,216 cancer diagnoses in 2014 in the United Kingdom. [17] Cancer Research UK estimates that 15% of UK cancers are caused by smoking, [18] and 3-4% of UK cancers are related to alcohol consumption. [19]

Mental health

In 2014, the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey reported that 17% of those surveyed in England met the criteria for a common mental disorder. About 37% of those were accessing mental health treatment. Those more severely affected were more likely to be accessing services. [20] In 2017 a survey found that 65% of Britons have experienced a mental health problem, with 26% having had a panic attack and 42% said they had suffered from depression. [21]

Benefit cuts and sanctions "are having a toxic impact on mental health" according to the UK Council for Psychotherapy. Rates of severe anxiety and depression among unemployed people increased from 10.1% in June 2013 to 15.2% in March 2017. In the general population the increase was from 3.4% to 4.1%. [22]

Suicide

5,608 and 5,675 people aged 15 and over died by suicide in 2009 to 2011 respectively. [23] [24] The share of deaths percentage wise in which suicide has contributed to has roughly remained under 1% since the 1990's. [25] The most recent figures for 2019 show that suicides made up 0.9% of deaths in the United Kingdom. [25]

HIV/AIDS

An estimated 101,200 people are living with HIV in the UK (0.16% of the population), 13% of whom are unaware of their infection. Of those, 69% are men and 31% were women. [26] Just under half of those living with HIV are gay or bisexual men. [26] 1 in 7 gay or bisexual men in London are living with HIV, compared to 1 in 25 in the rest of the UK and less than 1 in 500 for the general population. [26]

6,095 people were newly diagnosed during 2015, a trend which has remained relatively constant since 2010. [27] An estimated 39% of diagnoses were late (likely to have been living with the virus for over three years). [26]

Disability

Disabled population pyramid in 2021 in England and Wales Disabled population pyramid in 2021 in England and Wales.svg
Disabled population pyramid in 2021 in England and Wales

In 2014 more than 11 million British people (excluding Northern Ireland) were reported to have a long term impairment or disability. The incidence rises with age. About 6% of children, 16% of working age adults and 45% of pensioners are reported as having a disability. [28]

Vaccination

In the United Kingdom, the purchase and distribution of vaccines is managed centrally, and recommended vaccines are provided for free by the NHS. [29] In the UK, no laws require vaccination of schoolchildren. [29]

Social and economic issues

The Black Report, published by the Conservative government in 1980, highlighted the relationship between socioeconomic status and health outcomes. It demonstrated greater inequality of mortality between occupational classes I and V both in 1970–72 and 1959–63 than in 1949–53. [30]

Climate change

This section is an excerpt from Climate change in the United Kingdom § Health impacts.[ edit ]
Wildfire on Saddleworth Moor, 2018 Sadleworth Moor - NASA Landsat - 2018-06-27.jpg
Wildfire on Saddleworth Moor, 2018

Climate change has significant implications for health, healthcare and health inequality in the UK. [31] The National Health Service describes climate change as a "health emergency", citing the health impacts of floods, storms and heat waves, as well as the increased risk of infectious diseases such as tick-borne encephalitis and vibriosis. [32] It also suggests reduction of greenhouse gas emissions would also reduce deaths from air pollution. [32]

Climate change had made heat waves 30 times more likely in the UK and 3,400 people died from them in the years 2016–2019. Climate change-driven heatwaves in other countries important for crop production may also be more severe, which will have an indirect impact on the UK. [33] UK heat waves have implications for human health and can drive excess deaths, particularly among the elderly. [34]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Life expectancy</span> Measure of average lifespan in a given population

Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the estimate of the span of a life. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth (LEB), which can be defined in two ways. Cohort LEB is the mean length of life of a birth cohort and can be computed only for cohorts born so long ago that all their members have died. Period LEB is the mean length of life of a hypothetical cohort assumed to be exposed, from birth through death, to the mortality rates observed at a given year. National LEB figures reported by national agencies and international organizations for human populations are estimates of period LEB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demography of the United Kingdom</span>

The population of the United Kingdom was estimated at over 67.0 million in 2020. It is the 21st most populated country in the world and has a population density of 270 people per square kilometre, with England having significantly greater density than Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Almost a third of the population lives in south east England, which is predominantly urban and suburban, with about 9 million in the capital city, London, whose population density is just over 5,200 per square kilometre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diseases of affluence</span> Health conditions thought to be a result of increasing wealth in society

Diseases of affluence, previously called diseases of rich people, is a term sometimes given to selected diseases and other health conditions which are commonly thought to be a result of increasing wealth in a society. Also referred to as the "Western disease" paradigm, these diseases are in contrast to so-called "diseases of poverty", which largely result from and contribute to human impoverishment. These diseases of affluence have vastly increased in prevalence since the end of World War II.

HIV/AIDS was first diagnosed in 1981. As of year-end 2018, 160,493 people have been diagnosed with HIV in the United Kingdom and an estimated 7,500 people are living undiagnosed with HIV. New diagnoses are highest in gay/bisexual men, with an estimated 51% of new diagnosis reporting male same-sex sexual activity as the probable route of infection. Between 2009 and 2018 there was a 32% reduction in new HIV diagnosis, attributed by Public Health England (PHE) to better surveillance and education. PHE has described an "outbreak" in Glasgow amongst people who inject drugs, and has campaigns targeting men who have sex with men in London and other major cities. London was the first city in the world to reach the World Health Organization target for HIV, set at 90% of those with HIV diagnosed, 90% of those diagnosed on HAART and 90% of those on HAART undetectable. The UK as a whole later achieved the same target. Under the Equality Act 2010, it is illegal to discriminate against someone based on their HIV status in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health in Switzerland</span> Overview of health in Switzerland

In 2015, Switzerland had the lowest mortality rate in Europe, at 331 per 100,000 population. It had the highest rate of death from drug use at 3 per 100,000.

Health in England refers to the overall health of the population of England. Despite overall increases in life expectancy in England, the most deprived areas continue to see no change or a decrease in life expectancy. The Blair Government instituted a comprehensive programme to reduce health inequalities in England between 1997 and 2010 focused on reducing geographical inequalities in life expectancy. It was targeted at the Spearhead areas - the 20% of local authorities with the worst health and deprivation indicators. This led to more NHS resources being directed to the most deprived areas. The strategy was associated with a decline in geographical inequalities in life expectancy, reversing a trend which had increased over a long period. However, health inequalities still remain. In 2014 to 2016, the difference in life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas of England was 9.3 years for males and 7.3 years for females.

As for many developing countries, health issues in Iran stem from a variety of reasons: namely, water and sanitation, diet and fitness, various addictions, mental fitness, communicable diseases, hygiene and the environment.

Australia is a high income country, and this is reflected in the good status of health of the population overall. In 2011, Australia ranked 2nd on the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Index, indicating the level of development of a country. Despite the overall good status of health, the disparities occurring in the Australian healthcare system are a problem. The poor and those living in remote areas as well as indigenous people are, in general, less healthy than others in the population, and programs have been implemented to decrease this gap. These include increased outreach to the indigenous communities and government subsidies to provide services for people in remote or rural areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health in South Korea</span> Overview of health in South Korea

Life expectancy has been rising rapidly and South Korea ranked 3rd in the world for life expectancy. South Korea has among the lowest HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate in the world, with just 0.1% of the population being infected, significantly lower than the U.S. at 0.6%, France's 0.4%, and the UK's 0.3% prevalence rate. South Korea has a good influenza vaccination rate, with a total of 43.5% of the population being vaccinated in 2019. A new measure of expected human capital calculated for 195 countries from 1920 to 2016 and defined for each birth cohort as the expected years lived from age 20 to 64 years and adjusted for educational attainment, learning or education quality, and functional health status was published by the Lancet in September 2018. South Korea had the sixth highest level of expected human capital with 26 health, education, and learning-adjusted expected years lived between age 20 and 64 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health in Turkey</span> Overview of health in Turkey

As of 31 December 2016, Turkish population is 79,814,871 of which 23.7% are between 0-14, 68% are between 15-64 and 8.3% are older than 65 years old. Life expectancy at birth for men is 75.3 and for women is 80.7 years. Maternal mortality ratio has decreased from 23 to 16 per 100,000 live births between the years 2010 to 2015. According to the data from 2015, Under-five mortality and infant mortality rates per 1000 live births are 13.5 and 11.6. Air pollution in Turkey is particularly dangerous to children’s health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health in Finland</span> Overview of health in Finland

The major causes of deaths in Finland are cardiovascular diseases, malignant tumors, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, respiratory diseases, alcohol related diseases and accidental poisoning by alcohol. In 2010 the leading causes of death among men aged 15 to 64 were alcohol related deaths, ischaemic heart disease, accident, suicides, lung cancer and cerbrovascular diseases. Among women the leading causes were breast cancer, alcohol related deaths, accidents, suicides, ischaemic heart disease and lung cancer.

Health in Russia deteriorated rapidly following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and particularly for men, as a result of social and economic changes.

Health in Malta has seen improvements in recent years, with one of the highest life expectancies in Europe. Malta has a good overall quality of health and has seen rapid growth and improvement in key health indicators. Malta has seen significant development in the practice of mental health which has been supported by new infrastructure and increased government health spending. The introduction of health-focused government initiatives, particularly around nutrition, alcohol, smoking, and health will likely contribute to the further improvement of overall health nationwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health in New Zealand</span> Overview of health in New Zealand

New Zealand is a high income country, and this is reflected in the overall good health status of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health in Brunei</span>

Brunei's healthcare system is managed by the Brunei Ministry of Health and funded by the General Treasury. It consists of around 15 health centers, ten clinics and 22 maternal facilities, considered to be of reasonable standard. There are also two private hospitals. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading cause of death in the country, with life expectancy around 75 years, a vast improvement from 1961. Brunei's human development index (HCI) improved from 0.81 in 2002 to 0.83 in 2021, expanding at an average annual rate of 0.14%. According to the UN's Human Development Report 2020, the HCI for girls in the country is greater than for boys, though aren't enough statistics in Brunei to break down HCI by socioeconomic classes. Brunei is the second country in Southeast Asia after Singapore to be rated 47th out of 189 nations on the UN HDI 2019 and has maintained its position in the Very High Human Development category. Being a culturally taboo subject, the rate of suicide has not been investigated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health in Norway</span> Overview of health in Norway

Health in Norway, with its early history of poverty and infectious diseases along with famines and epidemics, was poor for most of the population at least into the 1800s. The country eventually changed from a peasant society to an industrial one and established a public health system in 1860. Due to the high life expectancy at birth, the low under five mortality rate and the fertility rate in Norway, it is fair to say that the overall health status in the country is generally good.

Montenegro is a country with an area of 13,812 square kilometres and a population of 620,029, according to the 2011 census. The country is bordered by Croatia, the Adriatic Sea, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania. The most common health issues faced are non-communicable diseases accounting for 95% of all deaths. This is followed by 4% of mortality due to injury, and 1% due to communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions. Other health areas of interest are alcohol consumption, which is the most prevalent disease of addiction within Montenegro and smoking. Montenegro has one of the highest tobacco usage rates across Europe. Life expectancy for men is 74 years, and life expectancy for women is 79.

The passing of the Cancer Act 1939 marked the political significance of cancer treatment. It envisaged a system of co-ordination of diagnosis and treatment under the control of County Councils and County Borough Councils which preceded the establishment of the NHS. The outbreak of war prevented most of its provisions from coming into effect.

References

  1. ↑ "Health at a Glance 2015 How does the United Kingdom compare?" (PDF). OECD. 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "International comparisons of health and wellbeing in adolescence and early adulthood". Nuffield Trust. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  3. ↑ "KS008 - Health and provision of unpaid care - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  4. ↑ "QS302EW (General health) - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  5. ↑ "TS037 - General health - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  6. ↑ "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". World Health Organization. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  7. ↑ UK among worst for life expectancy rises BBC
  8. ↑ UK life expectancy growth falls faster than other leading nations The Guardian
  9. ↑ Life expectancy progress in UK 'stops for first time' BBC
  10. ↑ Excess winter deaths in England and Wales highest since 1976 The Guardian
  11. ↑ "Childhood mortality in England and Wales: 2015". Office for National Statistics. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  12. ↑ Sparrow, Andrew (7 February 2016). "Childhood obesity is a national emergency, says Jeremy Hunt". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  13. ↑ "Prevalence of obesity, ages 18+, 2010-2014". World Health Organization. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Diabetes: putting people at the heart of services". NIHR Evidence. 2022-07-26. doi:10.3310/nihrevidence_52026.
  15. ↑ "Ministers aim to halve number of people smoking by 2020". BBC News . 1 February 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  16. ↑ "Smoking rates in England fall to lowest on record". BBC News. 20 September 2016.
  17. ↑ "Cancer Is More Common Than Marriage Or Having A First Baby In The UK". International Business Times. 10 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  18. ↑ "Cancer risk statistics, subheading Tobacco statistics". Cancer Research UK. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  19. ↑ "Cancer risk statistics, subheading Preventable cancers". Cancer Research UK. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  20. ↑ "Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2014". NHS Digital. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  21. ↑ Two thirds of adults experience mental health problems such as anxiety or depression, survey finds. The Independent. Published 8 May 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  22. ↑ "Government welfare cuts blamed for 50% surge in mental health issues among unemployed" . The Independent. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  23. ↑ "UK suicide rate rises 'significantly' in 2011". BBC News. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  24. ↑ "Suicide rates in the United Kingdom, 2006 to 2010" (PDF). Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  25. 1 2 Ritchie, Hannah; Roser, Max; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban (2015-06-15). "Suicide". Our World in Data.
  26. 1 2 3 4 "HIV in the UK" (PDF). UK Government. Public Health England. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  27. ↑ "HIV diagnoses, late diagnoses and numbers accessing treatment and care" (PDF). UK Government. Public Health England. October 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  28. ↑ "Disability facts and figures". Department for Work and Pensions - Office for Disability Issues. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  29. 1 2 Freed GL (2005). "Vaccine policies across the pond: looking at the U.K. and U.S. systems". Health Affairs. 24 (3): 755–7. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.24.3.755 . PMID   15886170.
  30. ↑ Black Report. London: HMSO. 1980. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  31. ↑ Paavola, Jouni (5 December 2017). "Health impacts of climate change and health and social inequalities in the UK". Environmental Health. 16 (1): 113. doi:10.1186/s12940-017-0328-z. ISSN   1476-069X. PMC   5773866 . PMID   29219089. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  32. 1 2 "Greener NHS » Health and climate change". www.england.nhs.uk. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  33. ↑ Rosane, Olivia (1 July 2020). "Chance of 40 Degree Celsius Days in UK 'Rapidly Increasing' Due to Climate Crisis". Ecowatch. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  34. ↑ "Climate change in the UK". Met Office. Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
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