NHS Library and Information Service North Staffordshire

Health Inequalities Bulletin

Issue no. 34 August - September 2012
About this Bulletin: Aims to draw attention to some of the key documents and reviews of research in health inequalities that have been published in the two previous months. Where possible, links to the full text documents are included. If the article is in a journal, you can contact the Health Library for a copy. Link to request form: http://www.keele.ac.uk/healthlibrary/usingthehealthlibrary/interlibraryloans/#d.en.27437 [A charge of 2 per request is payable for most copies] If you need further assistance in obtaining any of the resources listed in the bulletin or have other information needs, please contact the Outreach Librarians or the Health Library, details below. The bulletin can be e-mailed to colleagues who may also find it useful. A list of websites that are checked in the production of this bulletin is given on the first page. Please suggest others that may be useful. Feedback is welcomed to inform future issues of the bulletin.

Contact information
Bulletin produced by NHS Outreach Librarians Tel: FeatureNet 8429 External calls 0300 123 1535 ext 8429 E-mail: lindsay.snell@northstaffs.nhs.uk clareh.powell@northstaffs.nhs.uk Health Library Tel: 01782 679500 E-mail: health.library@keele.ac.uk

Topics reviewed in this issue: Children and Young People ....................2 Environment............................................3 Ethnicity ..................................................3 Faith and Belief .......................................4 Housing and homelessness ....................4

Inequalities.............................................. 4 Older people ........................................... 5 Sexual Orientation .................................. 5 Violence .................................................. 5

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Sources checked for this bulletin Please suggest further sites that should be monitored in the production of this bulletin CRD Centre for Reviews and Dissemination http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/crdweb/ - DARE (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects) - NHS Economic Evaluation Database Daily Health Bulletin http://www.sheffield.nhs.uk/healthbulletin/ Department of Health http://www.dh.gov.uk Department of Health bulletins http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Bulletins/ IDeA Healthier Communities section - including Health inequalities briefing papers: http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=77225 Info4local http://www.info4local.gov.uk Joseph Rowntree Foundation http://www.jrf.org.uk/ Kings Fund http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/ NeLM (National Electronic Library for Medicines) news bulletin http://www.nelm.nhs.uk/en/ NICE http://www.nice.org.uk SIGN http://www.sign.ac.uk/new.html

Children and Young People Local variations in youth drinking cultures Joseph Rowntree Foundation This study explores the lives of young people, aged 15-24, in two study areas located in regions of England where the harm caused by alcohol is markedly different. The aim of the research was to explore whether living in these places influenced young peoples drinking. http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/local-variations-youth-drinking-cultures National action plan to tackle child abuse linked to faith or belief Department for Education This action plan was created to help raise awareness of the issue of child abuse linked to faith or belief and to encourage people to take practical steps to prevent such abuse. It looks at tackling abuse linked to faith or belief from the perspective of the child, parent, community and faith group members and child practitioners. https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-000942012 A positive choice: Young people who drink little or no alcohol Joseph Rowntree Foundation This study is based on interviews examining young peoples reasons for drinking little or no alcohol, and how they managed situations where they were drinking less than their peers. http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/positive-choice-young-people

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Good practice resource - Using the views of children and young people to influence change: Durham County Council Ofsted Children and young people contribute through the Investing in Children (IiC) service to high-profile issues such as obesity, emotional health and sexual health. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/good-practice-resource-using-views-of-children-andyoung-people-influence-change-durham-county-counc
Back to topics

Environment Clustering of unhealthy behaviours over time: Implications for policy and practice Kings Fund This report reviews the current evidence on multiple lifestyle risks and analyses data from the Health Survey for England on the distribution of these risks in the adult population and how this is changing over time. http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/unhealthy_behaviours.html Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK 2012 Health Protection Agency This report provides scientific evidence of the wider risks to public health from climate change in the UK. http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1317135968769 Measuring National Well-being - Where we Live 2012 Office for National Statistics This article on where we live is part of a series which aims to explore in more detail the different domains that have been considered as important for the measurement of National Well-being. Where we live can have a significant impact on our sense of well-being. Homes which meet our individual needs and provide us with shelter and security are made all the better by having easy access to local shops and services, and green spaces to walk or play in, which in turn can help people to live healthier and happier lives. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-national-well-being/where-we-live/artwhere-we-live.html
Items in the Children and Young People section may be of interest. Back to topics

Ethnicity Specialist Services: A Guide for Commissioners Voice4Change England and NAVCA Specialist services are designed and delivered by and for the users and communities they aim to serve. They may be delivered by a range of equality-led organisations. This briefing focuses on BME voluntary organisations, which often work across multiple disadvantages, recognising the intersectionality that exists for individuals; discrimination is multi-layered and complex. In order to meet the complex needs of many individuals within our community, a holistic approach is often required. Specialist services provide a proven means through which to deliver this. http://www.navca.org.uk/news/view-article/equalities-new-report

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Faith and Belief
Items in the Children and Young People sections may be of interest. Back to topics

Housing and homelessness Evidence review of the costs of homelessness Department for Communities and Local Government This paper provides an initial overview of the magnitude of financial costs to government from homelessness. http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/costsofhomelessness Making every contact count: A joint approach to preventing homelessness Department for Communities and Local Government This report considers how services can be managed in a way that prevents all households, from reaching a crisis point where they are faced with homelessness. http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/makingeverycontactcount Warm Homes, Healthy People Fund Department of Health This funding will support: delivering energy efficiency and heating improvements to the most vulnerable people; providing residents with benefits advice; ensuring better public awareness of the impacts of cold weather; and providing staff and volunteers with fuel poverty/cold weather awareness training. http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/09/warm-homes-fund/
Back to topics

Inequalities Deaths involving MRSA, 2007 to 2011 Office for National Statistics This report looks at numbers of deaths, and breaks down the data by age, sex and neighbourhood level of deprivation. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health2/deaths-involving-mrsa/2007-to2011/index.html First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results Office for National Statistics This report presents experimental estimates from the first Well-being Annual Population Survey dataset, April 2011 to March 2012. Overall estimates of peoples views about their own well-being are provided as well as estimates for: key demographic characteristics, different geographic areas within the UK, and aspects which are considered important for measuring national well-being (such as personal relationships, health and work situation). http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-subjective-wellbeing-in-the-uk/firstannual-ons-experimental-subjective-well-being-results/first-ons-annual-experimentalsubjective-well-being-results.html

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Unexplained deaths in infancy, England and Wales, 2010 Office for National Statistics These statistics present data on sudden infant deaths, unascertained deaths and unexplained infant deaths. It also contains data on sex and age at death plus analyses by some of the key risk factors affecting sudden infant death such as birthweight, mothers age, mothers country of birth and fathers NS-SEC (socio-economic classification). http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/child-health/unexplained-deaths-in-infancy--england-andwales/2010/index.html
Back to topics

Older people Explaining variation in use of emergency hospital beds by patients over 65 Kings Fund This report considers the contribution made by patient-based factors, hospital factors, the availability of community services and resources, and broader system relationships in driving the observed variation in length of stay and rate of admission. Its conclusions are based on analysis by The Kings Fund of Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and local population -based data. http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/emergency_beds.html Implementing a ban on age discrimination in the NHS making effective, appropriate decisions Department of Health This document looks at the ban on age discrimination. It also covers circumstances where it is appropriate to take age into account when commissioning or providing services. http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/09/briefing-age-discrimination/
Items in the Sexual Orientation sections may be of interest. Back to topics

Sexual Orientation Working with older lesbian, gay and bisexual people: a guide for care and support services Stonewall The guide provides information on the law. supporting older LGB people. tips and case studies for care homes, domiciliary services, health care services, housing providers and councils, and involving LGB people in service provision. http://www.stonewall.org.uk/what_we_do/research_and_policy/sexual_orientation__equalit y_strands/8025.asp Violence Information Sharing to Tackle Violence Guidance for Community Safety Partnerships on engaging with the NHS Department of Health This Guidance highlights how Community Safety Partnerships made up of local authorities, the Police and other local agencies can reduce violence in their community by encouraging A&Es to collect and share information on time, type and location of assault. http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/09/information-sharing/ -5-