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Noonan RJ. Extrinsic goals benefit capitalism but not well-being. Rethinking the economy's goal for a healthier future. Health Promot Int 2024; 39:daae090. [PMID: 39322425 PMCID: PMC11424164 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daae090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The dramatic rise in non-communicable diseases around the world but notably in high-income countries like the UK is a manifestation of a global economic system-capitalism-that prioritizes wealth over health. A decade ago, the former WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan highlighted how 'efforts to prevent non-communicable diseases go against the business interests of powerful economic operators' [United Nations. (2013) Take Action for the Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ (last accessed 16 February 2024)]. While there is a growing literature on how politics and economics influence population health-for better or worse-less attention has been given to exploring how economic systems like capitalism influence people's psychological well-being. To fill this gap, the following article examines how the continued pursuit of economic growth under capitalism (neoliberal free-market forms especially) impacts well-being through challenging basic psychological needs for security, autonomy, competence and relatedness. In doing so, I hope to shed important light on the sources and possible solutions to our growing health and social problems, and stimulate a conversation on how to achieve a healthier future for us all.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Noonan
- Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, University of Bolton, Deane Road, Bolton BL3 5AB, UK
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Claveria O, Sorić M, Sorić P. Analysis of the impact of financial and labour uncertainty on suicide mortality in England. Health Place 2024; 89:103329. [PMID: 39146888 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2024.103329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between different dimensions of economic uncertainty and suicide rates in England from 1985 to 2020, both in the short and long term. The study employs a non-linear autoregressive distributed lag framework for cointegration estimation. This approach allows testing for the existence of possible asymmetries in the response of suicide mortality to increases in economic uncertainty. Uncertainty is gauged by different proxies that allow computing financial uncertainty and labour market uncertainty indicators. The analysis is replicated by gender and across regions, controlling for unemployment and economic growth. Overall, the analysis suggests that uncertainty intensified during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is in line with the stylized facts of economic uncertainty and its pronounced role in recessions. When replicating the experiment by gender, we find that women seem to be more sensitive to changes in uncertainty. Regarding the existence of asymmetries, we found that decreases in economic uncertainty have a greater impact on suicide mortality than increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Claveria
- AQR-IREA, University of Barcelona, Faculty of Economics and Business, Diagonal, 690, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Maša Sorić
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Dubrava, Avenija Gojka Šuška, 6, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Petar Sorić
- Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb, Trg Republike Hrvatske 14, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
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Noonan RJ. What Are the Roots of the Nation's Poor Health and Widening Health Inequalities? Rethinking Economic Growth for a Fairer and Healthier Future. COMMUNITY HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH & POLICY 2024:2752535X241259241. [PMID: 38889922 DOI: 10.1177/2752535x241259241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Health inequalities are differences in health between groups in society. Despite them being preventable they persist on a grand scale. At the beginning of 2024, the Institute of Health Equity revealed in their report titled: Health Inequalities, Lives Cut Short, that health inequalities caused 1 million early deaths in England over the past decade. While the number of studies on the prevalence of health inequalities in the UK has burgeoned, limited emphasis has been given to exploring the factors contributing to these (widening) health inequalities. In this commentary article I will describe how the Government's relentless pursuit of economic growth and their failure to implement the necessary regulatory policies to mitigate against the insecurity and health effects neoliberal free market capitalism (referred to as capitalism herein) causes in pursuit of innovation, productivity and growth (economic dynamism) is one key driver underpinning this social injustice. I contend that if the priority really is to tackle health inequalities and ensure health for all then there is an imperative need to move beyond regulation alone to mitigate the worst effects of capitalist production; the goal of the economy has to change to fully restore the balance between economic growth and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Noonan
- Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, University of Bolton, Bolton, UK
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Raleigh V. ONS refines method to estimate excess deaths. BMJ 2024; 384:q640. [PMID: 38499315 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
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Hiam L, McKee M, Dorling D. Influenza: cause or excuse? An analysis of flu's influence on worsening mortality trends in England and Wales, 2010-19. Br Med Bull 2024; 149:72-89. [PMID: 38224198 PMCID: PMC10938544 DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldad028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND England and Wales experienced a stagnation of previously improving life expectancy during the 2010s. Public bodies cited influenza as an important cause. SOURCES OF DATA We used data from the Office for National Statistics to examine mortality attributed directly to influenza and to all influenza-like diseases for the total population of England and Wales 2010-19. Several combinations of ICD-10 codes were used to address the possibility of under-counting influenza deaths. AREAS OF AGREEMENT Deaths from influenza and influenza-like diseases declined between 2010 and 2019, while earlier improvements in mortality from all causes of death were stalling and, with some causes, worsening. Our findings support existing research showing that influenza is not an important cause of the stalling of mortality rates 2010-19. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY Influenza was accepted by many as an important cause of stalling life expectancy for much of the 2010s, while few in public office have accepted austerity as a key factor in the changes seen during that time. GROWING POINTS This adds to the mounting evidence that austerity damaged health prior to COVID-19 and left the population more vulnerable when it arrived. AREAS FOR DEVELOPING TIMELY RESEARCH Future research should explore why so many in public office were quick to attribute the change in trends in overall mortality in the UK in this period to influenza, and why many continue to do so through to 2023 and to deny the key role of austerity in harming population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucinda Hiam
- University of Oxford, School of Geography and the Environment, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Martin McKee
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Danny Dorling
- University of Oxford, School of Geography and the Environment, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
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Höhn A, Lomax N, Rice H, Angus C, Brennan A, Brown D, Cunningham A, Elsenbroich C, Hughes C, Katikireddi SV, McCartney G, Seaman R, Tsuchia A, Meier P. Estimating quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) for local authorities in Great Britain and its association with indicators of the inclusive economy: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e076704. [PMID: 38431294 PMCID: PMC10910677 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Quantifying area-level inequalities in population health can help to inform policy responses. We describe an approach for estimating quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE), a comprehensive health expectancy measure, for local authorities (LAs) in Great Britain (GB). To identify potential factors accounting for LA-level QALE inequalities, we examined the association between inclusive economy indicators and QALE. SETTING 361/363 LAs in GB (lower tier/district level) within the period 2018-2020. DATA AND METHODS We estimated life tables for LAs using official statistics and utility scores from an area-level linkage of the Understanding Society survey. Using the Sullivan method, we estimated QALE at birth in years with corresponding 80% CIs. To examine the association between inclusive economy indicators and QALE, we used an open access data set operationalising the inclusive economy, created by the System Science in Public Health and Health Economics Research consortium. RESULTS Population-weighted QALE estimates across LAs in GB were lowest in Scotland (females/males: 65.1 years/64.9 years) and Wales (65.0 years/65.2 years), while they were highest in England (67.5 years/67.6 years). The range across LAs for females was from 56.3 years (80% CI 45.6 to 67.1) in Mansfield to 77.7 years (80% CI 65.11 to 90.2) in Runnymede. QALE for males ranged from 57.5 years (80% CI 40.2 to 74.7) in Merthyr Tydfil to 77.2 years (80% CI 65.4 to 89.1) in Runnymede. Indicators of the inclusive economy accounted for more than half of the variation in QALE at the LA level (adjusted R2 females/males: 50%/57%). Although more inclusivity was generally associated with higher levels of QALE at the LA level, this association was not consistent across all 13 inclusive economy indicators. CONCLUSIONS QALE can be estimated for LAs in GB, enabling further research into area-level health inequalities. The associations we identified between inclusive economy indicators and QALE highlight potential policy priorities for improving population health and reducing health inequalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Höhn
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nik Lomax
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Hugh Rice
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Colin Angus
- School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Alan Brennan
- School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Denise Brown
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Anne Cunningham
- School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Corinna Elsenbroich
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ceri Hughes
- Manchester Institute of Education, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Gerry McCartney
- School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Rosie Seaman
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Aki Tsuchia
- School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Petra Meier
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Macgregor C, Walumbe J, Tulle E, Seenan C, Blane DN. Intersectionality as a theoretical framework for researching health inequities in chronic pain. Br J Pain 2023; 17:479-490. [PMID: 38107758 PMCID: PMC10722103 DOI: 10.1177/20494637231188583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is experienced unequally by different population groups; we outline examples from the pain literature of inequities related to gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic and migration status. Health inequities are systematic, avoidable and unfair differences in health outcomes between groups of people, with the fundamental 'causes of causes' recognised as unequal distribution of income, power and wealth. Intersectionality can add further theory to health inequities literature; collective social identities including class/socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, migration status, age, sexuality and disabled status intersect in multiple interconnected systems of power leading to differing experiences of privilege and oppression which can be understood as axes of health inequities. The process of knowledge creation in pain research is shaped by these interconnected systems of power, and may perpetuate inequities in pain care as it is largely based on majority white, middle class, Eurocentric populations. Intersectionality can inform research epistemology (ways of knowing), priorities, methodology and methods. We give examples from the literature where intersectionality has informed a justice oriented approach across different research methods and we offer suggestions for further development. The use of a reductionist frame can force unachievable objectivity on to complex health concepts, and we note increasing realisation in the field of the need to understand the individuals within their social world, and recognise the fluid and contextual nature of this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Macgregor
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
- NHS Lanarkshire Chronic Pain Service, Buchanan Centre, Coatbridge, UK
| | - Jackie Walumbe
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Emmanuelle Tulle
- Department of Social Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Christopher Seenan
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - David N Blane
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Mason KE, Alexiou A, Barr B, Taylor-Robinson D. Impact of cuts to local authority spending on cultural, environmental and planning services on inequalities in childhood obesity in England: A longitudinal ecological study. Health Place 2023; 80:102999. [PMID: 36924674 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.102999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Almost 20% of children in England are living with obesity by the end of primary school, with marked and growing inequalities driven by increasing prevalence in more deprived areas. Neighbourhood environments are upstream determinants of childhood weight status. Cultural, Environmental and Planning (CEP) services delivered by local authorities (LAs) in England include various services that contribute to these local environments, e.g. leisure centres, parks, playgrounds, libraries, community safety and environmental protection. Children in deprived areas potentially benefit most from the provision of these universal services. Spending on CEP services has been cut dramatically over the past decade, especially in more deprived areas. Given the potential link between these services and childhood obesity, we examined whether recent cuts in LA spending on CEP services are associated with trends and inequalities in obesity. METHODS We compiled annual data (2009-2017) on CEP spending in 324 LAs in England, from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reports. Obesity prevalence data for Year 6 children were obtained from the National Child Measurement Programme, for LAs and Middle-layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs). Following descriptive and pooled OLS analyses, we used fixed effects panel regression to estimate associations between CEP spending and obesity prevalence, within LAs over time, adjusting for potential confounding by local economic conditions and spending on other public services. Final models included an interaction term between area deprivation (2015 IMD) and year to account for differential background trends in obesity across deprivation levels. We tested for effect modification by deprivation and, using MSOA-level obesity data, explored associations between spending and within-LA obesity inequalities. RESULTS In unadjusted pooled OLS analyses, areas with higher CEP spending had higher prevalence of obesity, reflecting the strong social gradient in childhood obesity and the higher levels of central government funding allocated to more deprived areas. Deprivation, other spend, and local economic conditions explained this relationship. In the fixed effects analysis, designed to isolate average within-area change in obesity associated with changing spend, we observed a 0.10 percentage point increase in obesity prevalence for each 10% reduction in spend (95%CI: 0.04,0.15; p < 0.001), but this disappeared after accounting for differential background trends in obesity across deprivation levels (-0.02; 95%CI: 0.07,0.03; p = 0.39). Similar results were observed for obesity inequalities, although sensitivity analyses suggest spending on Environmental Services in particular may affect inequalities in urban local authorities. CONCLUSIONS CEP spending levels may influence local childhood obesity risk, but the increasing prevalence and widening inequalities in obesity of the past decade seem to have been driven mainly by factors other than CEP spending cuts, that are also unevenly distributed across deprivation levels. The influence of specific services might be obscured by grouping CEP services for analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E Mason
- Department of Public Health, Policy & Systems, University of Liverpool, UK.
| | - Alexandros Alexiou
- Department of Public Health, Policy & Systems, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Ben Barr
- Department of Public Health, Policy & Systems, University of Liverpool, UK
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Machin R. UK autumn statement 2022, the worst is yet to come. Perspect Public Health 2023; 143:63-64. [PMID: 37002668 PMCID: PMC10068394 DOI: 10.1177/17579139231157525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R Machin
- Department of Social Work, Care and Community, Nottingham Trent University, 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK.
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Augustin J, Andrees V, Walsh D, Reintjes R, Koller D. Spatial Aspects of Health-Developing a Conceptual Framework. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1817. [PMID: 36767185 PMCID: PMC9914219 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies and models address the determinants of health. However, in existing models, the spatial aspects of the determinants are not or only marginally taken into account and a theoretical discussion of the association between space and the determinants of health is missing. The aim of this paper is to generate a framework that can be used to place the determinants of health in a spatial context. A screening of the current first serves to identify the relevant determinants and describes the current state of knowledge. In addition, spatial scales that are important for the spatial consideration of health were developed and discussed. Based on these two steps, the conceptual framework on the spatial determinants of health was derived and subsequently discussed. The results show a variety of determinants that are associated with health from a spatial point of view. The overarching categories are global driving forces, policy and governance, living and physical environment, socio-demographic and economic conditions, healthcare services and cultural and working conditions. Three spatial scales (macro, meso and micro) are further subdivided into six levels, such as global (e.g., continents), regional (e.g., council areas) or neighbourhood (e.g., communities). The combination of the determinants and spatial scales are presented within a conceptual framework as a result of this work. Operating mechanisms and pathways between the spatial levels were added schematically. This is the first conceptual framework that links the determinants of health with the spatial perspective. It can form the working basis for future analyses in which spatial aspects of health are taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jobst Augustin
- Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Valerie Andrees
- Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - David Walsh
- Glasgow Centre for Population Health, Glasgow G40 2QH, UK
| | - Ralf Reintjes
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, 20999 Hamburg, Germany
- Health Sciences Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33100 Tampere, Finland
| | - Daniela Koller
- IBE—Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucinda Hiam
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Hiam L, Dorling D. A return to austerity is not inevitable, it is a political choice. BMJ 2022; 379:o2784. [PMID: 36396154 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.o2784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucinda Hiam
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Danny Dorling
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, UK
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