Men's health in communities across England
The Local Government Association has published a report into men's health and called for partnership working to address inequalities. Men’s health: The lives of men in our communities highlights several areas of concern including:
- On average men die nearly four years earlier than women.
- Four out of every five suicides are by men.
- Men in the most deprived areas live nearly 10 years fewer than those in the least deprived.
- The gap in healthy life expectancy between the most and least deprived is nearly 20 years.
The report argues local councils are ideally placed to lead the partnership working required to address men's health issues. It highlights a series of case studies where local councils have led men's health programmes. Highlighted initiatives aimed to tackle issues including mental health, social isolation and weight loss.
Read the full report via the Local Government Association website here.
Tackling digital exclusion in Scotland
Audit Scotland has published a report into digital exclusion performance. It says digital technology can have a positive impact. However, 1 in 6 adults lacks essential digital skills for everyday life and almost 1 in 10 households in Scotland do not have an internet connection. This has a severe impact which public bodies are either unaware of, or do not consider, when moving services online. It says the public sector response to digital exclusion increased significantly during the pandemic but momentum has now slowed. The report makes a series of recommendations for the Scottish Government and other public bodies, including NHS Boards.
Read the full report via the Audit Scotland website here.
Understanding Long COVID in Northern England
A new report by Health Equity North explores the impact of Long COVID on health, wellbeing and employment prospects of adults in Northern England. It highlights a "clear North-South divide" in Long COVID rates. There is also evidence of socioeconomic inequalities in Long COVID in the North East and Yorkshire, where rates in the most deprived groups were 5.2 percentage points higher than in the least deprived areas. The report makes a series of recommendations including increased research into Long COVID and consultation with Long COVID patients to better understand their condition.
Read the full report via the Health Equity North website here.
Survey: Self care knowledge, attitudes and behaviours
PIF member the Self Care Forum is working with Imperial College London and the Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU) on a research study to investigate public knowledge, attitudes and behaviours to self-care in the UK. Everyone is invited to take part in the survey, which takes just 10 minutes to complete. The results will be used to better support people's self-care practises. In addition to public views, the Self Care Forum is also keen to hear from healthcare professionals about how their patients practice self care.
Take part in the survey via the Imperial College London website here.
Study: COVID-19 misinformation, public health impacts and communication strategies
A scoping review identifies sources of COVID-19 misinformation, its impact and the effectiveness of public health mitigation strategies. It found misinformation significantly impacted mental health, vaccine hesitancy and healthcare decision-making. Sources ranged from social media platforms to traditional media outlets and informal networks. While the impact of misinformation varied, vulnerable populations were disproportionately affected. Effective strategies to counter misinformation included enhancing health literacy, promoting clear communication and implementing fact checks. In addition, community engagement and targeted health campaigns played a crucial role in addressing misinformation.
Read the full study via the JMIR website here.
New e-learning module on women's heart health
PIF member Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland has launched a new e-learning module on women's heart health. HEARTe15: Women’s Heart Health identifies heart disease symptoms and risks for women, outlines sex-related differences in presentation and covers management of heart disease in women of all ages. It is free and designed to be accessible to both healthcare professionals and the general public. The module was co-created with healthcare professionals and people with lived experience.
Access the new module via the CHSS eLearning site here.
NHS trust strategies for addressing health inequalities
NHS Providers has published a review setting out the key components of a successful NHS Trust strategy for reducing health inequalities. It is based on desk-based research into a selection of published trust strategy documents and follow-up interviews to better understand the extent to which action on health inequalities has been prioritised.
Access the full report via the NHS Providers website here.
Listen: Not Just Patients!
In the latest Not Just Patients! podcast Caitlin Rich and Clarinda Cerejo speak to Avishek Pal about how patients can better access and contribute to medical publications. Other recent episode topics include embracing shared decision-making in patient care and embedding patient perspectives into clinical research.
Check out all episodes via the Not Just Patients! website here.