en.wikipedia.org

Health in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

  • ️Sun May 07 2023

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 – were above the OECD average in 2015.[1]

Life expectancy in the country consistently rose from the 18th century onward, but the rate of increase slowed from 2011 and stagnated in 2018. Social trends such as obesity rates within the country have consistently risen since the 1970s, while smoking rates have consistently decreased since then.

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. However, the UK had some of the lowest smoking, suicide and road accidents.[2]

General health (self-identified) England and Wales
2001[3] 2011[4] 2021[5]
Number % Number % Number %
Very good health 35,676,210 68.6% 26,434,409 47.1% 28,827,308 48.4%
Good health 19,094,820 34.1% 20,046,220 33.6%
Fair health 11,568,363 22.2% 7,401,881 13.2% 7,597,001 12.7%
Bad health 4,797,343 9.2% 2,428,668 4.3% 2,412,358 4.0%
Very bad health 716,134 1.3% 714,655 1.2%
Total 52,041,916 100% 56,075,912 100% 59,597,542 100.0%
Life expectancy at birth in UK

In 2013, life expectancy at birth was 83 years for women and 79 for men.[6] In 2016, life expectancy was found to be rising more slowly in the UK than in comparable nations.[7][8] In 2018, life expectancy in the UK stopped increasing.[9] There were 50,100 excess deaths during winter 2017/2018, mostly among older people, and the highest number since 1976; cold weather and problems with flu vaccine were blamed.[10] In January 2024, The BMJ reported that data is suggesting that "life expectancy in the UK seems to have reduced by around half a year per person", partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that was published in November 2024 indicated that the United Kingdom has the worst life expectancy in western Europe.[12]

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.[13]

The rising rates of childhood obesity were described as a "national emergency" by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in February 2016.[14] 28.1% of adults in the United Kingdom were recognised as clinically obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 in 2014.[15] The increasing numbers of people with obesity leads to the growing number of diabetes diagnoses.[16]

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.[16]

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.[17] In 2015, smoking rates in England had fallen to 16.9%.[18]

There were 361,216 cancer diagnoses in 2014 in the United Kingdom.[19] Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK (around 56,000 women and 375 men are diagnosed with the disease every year).[20] Cancer Research UK estimates that 15% of UK cancers are caused by smoking,[21] and 3-4% of UK cancers are related to alcohol consumption.[22]

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.[23] 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.[24]

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%.[25]

5,608 and 5,675 people aged 15 and over died by suicide in 2009 to 2011 respectively.[26][27] The share of deaths percentage wise in which suicide has contributed to has roughly remained under 1% since the 1990's.[28] The most recent figures for 2019 show that suicides made up 0.9% of deaths in the United Kingdom.[28]

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.[29] Just under half of those living with HIV are gay or bisexual men.[29] 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.[29]

6,095 people were newly diagnosed during 2015, a trend which has remained relatively constant since 2010.[30] An estimated 39% of diagnoses were late (likely to have been living with the virus for over three years).[29]

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.[31]

In the United Kingdom, the purchase and distribution of vaccines is managed centrally, and recommended vaccines are provided for free by the NHS.[32]

Social and economic issues

[edit]

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.[33]

Wildfire on Saddleworth Moor, 2018

The National Health Service describes climate change as a "health emergency", citing the impacts of heat waves, floods, and storms on health, as well as the increased spread of infectious diseases such as tick-borne encephalitis and vibriosis.[34]

Due to climate change, the UK has experienced a significant increase in severe heat waves which have dire health consequences.[35][36] The 2022 heatwaves contributed to nearly 3000 excess deaths – meaning people who are not expected to die during this period.[37][38] This represents the highest number of deaths during heatwaves since 2004. Most of the extra deaths occurred in those aged over 65.[39][37] Without climate change mitigation or adaptation measures, heat-related deaths could increase sixfold by the 2050s, particularly affecting children, the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions.[40]

Flooding in the UK presents another major threat, currently affecting over six million people. This number expected to rise significantly as temperatures increase.[41] Beyond physical risks, floods have severe long-lasting mental health consequences for survivors, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[41][42][43]

  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 News. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  8. ^ UK life expectancy growth falls faster than other leading nations The Guardian, 7 August 2018
  9. ^ Life expectancy progress in UK 'stops for first time' BBC
  10. ^ Campbell, Denis (2018-11-30). "Excess winter deaths in England and Wales highest since 1976". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  11. ^ O’Dowd, Adrian (12 January 2024). "Covid-19 has cut UK life expectancy by around half a year, data suggest". BMJ. 384: q78. doi:10.1136/bmj.q78. PMID 38216221. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  12. ^ Searles, Michael (18 November 2024). "Britain has worst life expectancy in western Europe". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  13. ^ "Childhood mortality in England and Wales: 2015". Office for National Statistics. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  14. ^ Sparrow, Andrew (7 February 2016). "Childhood obesity is a national emergency, says Jeremy Hunt". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  15. ^ "Prevalence of obesity, ages 18+, 2010-2014". World Health Organization. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Diabetes: putting people at the heart of services". NIHR Evidence. 2022-07-26. doi:10.3310/nihrevidence_52026. S2CID 251299176.
  17. ^ "Ministers aim to halve number of people smoking by 2020". BBC News. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Smoking rates in England fall to lowest on record". BBC News. 20 September 2016.
  19. ^ "Cancer Is More Common Than Marriage Or Having A First Baby In The UK". International Business Times. 10 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Facts and figures". Breast Cancer UK. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  21. ^ "Cancer risk statistics, subheading Tobacco statistics". Cancer Research UK. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  22. ^ "Cancer risk statistics, subheading Preventable cancers". Cancer Research UK. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2014". NHS Digital. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ "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.
  26. ^ "UK suicide rate rises 'significantly' in 2011". BBC News. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  27. ^ "Suicide rates in the United Kingdom, 2006 to 2010" (PDF). Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  28. ^ a b Ritchie, Hannah; Roser, Max; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban (2015-06-15). "Suicide". Our World in Data.
  29. ^ a b c d "HIV in the UK" (PDF). UK Government. Public Health England. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  30. ^ "HIV diagnoses, late diagnoses and numbers accessing treatment and care" (PDF). UK Government. Public Health England. October 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  31. ^ "Disability facts and figures". Department for Work and Pensions - Office for Disability Issues. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  32. ^ 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.
  33. ^ Black Report. London: HMSO. 1980. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  34. ^ "Greener NHS » Health and climate change". www.england.nhs.uk. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  35. ^ "Heat mortality monitoring report: 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  36. ^ Bunn, Sarah; Mehrhof, Sara (23 May 2024). Public health impacts of heat (PDF). UK Parliament POST. doi:10.58248/PN723.
  37. ^ a b "Heat mortality monitoring report: 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  38. ^ "State of the past and future UK climate" (PDF). Health Effects of Climate Change (HECC) in the UK: 2023 report. UK Health Security Agency. 11 December 2023.
  39. ^ "Record excess deaths in UK's heatwave summer". BBC News. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  40. ^ "Temperature effects on mortality in a changing climate" (PDF). Health Effects of Climate Change (HECC) in the UK: 2023 report. UK Health Security Agency. 11 December 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Climate change, flooding, coastal change and public health" (PDF). Health Effects of Climate Change (HECC) in the UK: 2023 report. UK Health Security Agency. 11 December 2023.
  42. ^ Waite, Thomas David; Chaintarli, Katerina; Beck, Charles R.; Bone, Angie; Amlôt, Richard; Kovats, Sari; Reacher, Mark; Armstrong, Ben; Leonardi, Giovanni; Rubin, G. James; Oliver, Isabel (28 January 2017). "The English national cohort study of flooding and health: cross-sectional analysis of mental health outcomes at year one". BMC Public Health. 17 (1): 129. doi:10.1186/s12889-016-4000-2. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 5273816. PMID 28129752.
  43. ^ Mulchandani, Ranya; Armstrong, Ben; Beck, Charles R.; Waite, Thomas David; Amlôt, Richard; Kovats, Sari; Leonardi, Giovanni; Rubin, G. James; Oliver, Isabel (30 March 2020). "The English National Cohort Study of Flooding & Health: psychological morbidity at three years of follow up". BMC Public Health. 20 (1): 321. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-8424-3. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 7104503. PMID 32223747.
  • Beier, Lucinda McCray. For their own good : the transformation of English working-class health culture, 1880-1970 (2008) online
  • Berridge, Virginia. Health and Society in Britain since 1939 (1999)
  • Brand. Jeanne L. Doctors and the state: the British medical profession and government action in public health, 1870-1912 (Johns Hopkins UP, 1965).
  • Carpenter, Mary Wilson. Health, Medicine, and Society in Victorian England (Bloomsbury, 2009)
  • Durey, Michael. The return of the plague : British society and the cholera, 1831-2 (1979) online
  • Eyler, John M. Sir Arthur Newsholme and State Medicine, 1885-1935 (Cambridge University Press, 1997).
  • Finer, S.E. The life and times of Sir Edwin Chadwick (1952).
  • Frazer. W.M. A history of English public health, 1834 - 1939 (1950).
  • Hardy, Anne. Health and medicine in Britain since 1860 (2001)
  • Harris, James Jeffrey. "Body Politics: A History of Public Health and Politics in Britain, 1885-1922" (PhD dissertation, The Ohio State University, 2017) online.
  • Lambert, R. Sir John Simon 1816-1904 and English social administration (1963).
  • Porter, Roy. Disease, medicine, and society in England, 1550-1860 (1995)
  • Sigsworth, Michael, and Michael Worboys. "The public's view of public health in mid-Victorian Britain." Urban History 21.2 (1994): 237-250. online
  • Smith, F. B. The People's health. 1830-1910 (1979).
  • Warren, Michael D. A chronology of state medicine, public health, welfare and related services in Britain 1066-1999 (2000) online
  • Webster, Charles. The National Health Service : a political history (2002) and that'll work better.[1]
  • Wohl, Anthony S. Endangered lives: public health in Victorian Britain (1983) online.
  • Schneider, Dona, and David E. Lilienfeld, eds. Public Health: The Development of a Discipline, From the Age of Hippocrates to the Progressive Era (2008), Long excerpts from. 24 major documents. before 1920, from the United States and United Kingdom. excerpts
    • Public health: the development of a discipline. Vol. 2 Twentieth century challenges (2011), covers 1920 to 2010.
  • National Statistics: The health of adult Britain, 1841-1994 (1997) online