Concerns raised at public health and equality implications of North/South report

Posted October 2nd, 2009 by amccune

2009

2 Oct 2009

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) welcomed the publication of a new report comparing health in the Republic and Northern Ireland, launched in Belfast today.

Entitled, “One Island – One Lifestyle? Health and lifestyles in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: Comparing the population surveys SLÁN 2007 and NIHSWS 2005,this report presents a North/South profile of physical and mental health, lifestyles and the experience of health services.

Some of the key findings from the report show that:

Almost twice as many women in Northern Ireland (30%) had been tested for cervical cancer in the previous 12 months compared to the Republic (16%). Women in higher social classes in the Republic were significantly more likely to have been tested than women in lower social classes;
A statistically significant higher percentage of respondents in the Republic of Ireland (29%) were current smokers compared to Northern Ireland (26%);
One-quarter of respondents in both Northern Ireland (25%) and the Republic (24%) were classified as 'obese' according to their BMI. A further 36% in Northern Ireland and 39% in the Republic were 'overweight'.
In Northern Ireland, one-fifth of respondents (19%) reported drinking above the recommended upper limit (i.e. 14 units of alcohol for women, 21 units of alcohol for men) compared to one in 10 respondents in the Republic of Ireland (10%).

Further key findings can be found in the note to the editor below.

Speaking at the launch of the report, IPH Chief Executive Jane Wilde said, “This report provides a comprehensive snapshot of health on the island of Ireland. More importantly it provides data that will inform the development of strategies and services tackling public health priorities such as obesity, mental illness and cancer.”

The IPH emphasized the benefits of producing information on a North/South basis, “This analysis allows us to compare the impact of different health and social care systems on public health priorities. There is a strong case for increasing harmonization of health information systems on the island, both to optimize learning and be cost-efficient in how we collect and analyse information”

While welcoming the publication of the report, the IPH expressed concern about the implications of some of the reports findings.

“I am deeply concerned by the report’s findings in relation to health inequalities. Throughout the island, poorer people experienced an excessive burden of chronic illness, disability and mental ill-health. This report suggests that health services in both jurisdictions, but in the Republic of Ireland in particular, need to enhance their ability to diagnose and manage conditions which particularly affect the less advantaged, including high blood pressure, tobacco addiction and mental illness,” said Jane Wilde.

The report, which was commissioned by the Department of Health and Children in Dublin, is part of a series based on the main SLÁN 2007 (National Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition) survey which was carried out by a research consortium involving NUI, Galway, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, the Economic and Social Research Institute, and University College Cork. Information relating to Northern Ireland was based on a recent survey conducted by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

The report is available online here or at www.dohc.ie and www.slan07.ie

NOTE FOR EDITORS

Professor Hannah McGee, Division of Population Health Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is available to take queries from the media in relation to the Report.

Contact:
Arlene McKay
Communications Officer
Institute of Public Health in Ireland
Tel: 0044 7734 903944

Key Findings from the ‘One Island – One Lifestyle?’ report are summarised below:

The majority of respondents in both jurisdictions (90% in the Republic and 86% in Northern Ireland) rated their quality of life as 'very good' or 'good', compared with only 5% in both jurisdictions rated their quality of life as 'poor' or 'very poor'.
One in 10 respondents in both jurisdictions (RoI: 10%; NI: 13%) were diagnosed with a chronic illness at some time. The most frequently reported diagnosed chronic condition in both the Republic and Northern Ireland was asthma, followed by diabetes.
Three-quarters of respondents in the Republic (74%) and Northern Ireland (73%) had visited a general practitioner (GP) in the last year. Women and older people were more likely to visit their GP in both jurisdictions.
Cervical cancer screening services for women aged 20-64 years were compared. Almost twice as many women in Northern Ireland (30%) had been tested for cervical cancer in the previous 12 months compared to the Republic (16%). Women in higher social classes in the Republic were significantly more likely to have been tested than women in lower social classes. There was no significant social class difference among women in Northern Ireland reflecting the benefits for all of universally available screening services.
Breast cancer screening services for women aged 50-64 years were also compared. Similar proportions, about 1 in 3 women, in the Republic (35%) and Northern Ireland (29%) had been screened for breast cancer in the previous 12 months. The percentage difference was not statistically significant. While there was no significant difference by social class in Northern Ireland, women in higher social class groups in the Republic were more likely to have been screened.
Independently measured height and weight data were collected for a sub-sample in both the SLÁN 2007 and NIHSWS 2005 surveys. These measurements were used to calculate the body mass index (BMI) of respondents. One-quarter of respondents in both the Republic (24%) and Northern Ireland (25%) were classified as 'obese' according to their BMI. A further 39% in the Republic and 36% in Northern Ireland were 'overweight'.
A statistically significant higher percentage of respondents in the Republic of Ireland (29%) were current smokers compared to Northern Ireland (26%). Smoking was more prevalent in lower social classes in both jurisdictions, with over one-third of respondents in lower social classes being current smokers (RoI: 37%; NI: 36%).
One in 10 respondents in the Republic of Ireland (10%) reported drinking above the recommended upper limit (i.e. 14 units of alcohol for women, 21 units of alcohol for men). In Northern Ireland, one-fifth of respondents (19%) reported drinking above the recommended upper limit.In terms of people’s immediate social environment, rubbish or litter lying around was seen as the most common social problem in both jurisdictions. This was followed by vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property; by exposure to people being drunk in public; and, lastly, by a very small number, insults or attacks to do with a person's race or colour.
This analysis has allowed valuable comparison of health and social indices across differing systems in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Similarities and differences – in services pertaining to health, social and education systems; to geographic, historical and political circumstances; and to the wider legislative and political frameworks – mean that there is a useful opportunity to consider this as 'one island and two systems' shaping health and health-related indices