Title: Measuring Health, Variations in Health and Determinants of Health
Funder: Medical Research Council

Abstract: This programme aims to improve the way in which we measure population health and inequalities in health between subgroups of the population. The health of individuals varies according to socio-economic characteristics reflecting, at least in part, different exposures to factors that influence health. Since populations comprise groups of individuals, and these groups tend not to be random, e.g. groups defined by geography or on the basis of occupation, there are differences between the health of different populations. As an example, the health of the Scottish population is poorer than that of the UK population as a whole. Understanding such health inequalities plays an important part in improving the health of the population. Core funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates, the principal focus of the programme is on the health of the Scottish population. More specifically, the aims of the programme are: - to improve our understanding of the health of the Scottish population, and of variation in health between particular subgroups; - to consider the importance of different contexts (e.g. school, workplace, area of residence) at different stages of the life course on subsequent adult health; and - to ensure that the statistical methodology required to address complex public health research problems develops appropriately and to disseminate such methodology. The programme has a number of specific projects that capitalise on our expertise with the analysis of routinely collected data (such as death records, Census records and hospital discharge records or cancer registrations) and existing survey data. We also benefit from our location in Scotland and the access to the linked hospital, mortality and survey records covering over 25 years that this affords. The projects within the programme include: A number of studies of health inequalities in Scotland, including understanding different trends in mortality for different causes between regions and social groups in Scotland; understanding the "Glasgow effect", the reasons underlying the less favourable health of the population of Glasgow compared to the rest of Scotland and to selected regions in the rest of Europe; describing the extent to which population change through selective (internal) migration influences population health; examining the social and geographical patterning of ischaemic heart disease in Scotland; investigating the impact of school and residential environment in childhood on adult health; understanding the influence of area of residence and social conditions, both measured at different stages of the life course, on subsequent mortality; developing and disseminating the use of multilevel modelling for public health research; improving our understanding of missing data in surveys and the techniques used for subsequent analysis; developing techniques to compensate for selective non-response using linked survey, hospital and mortality data; and developing methods used to model geographical differences in health.


Research activity codes: 2.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS;2.4 SURVEILLANCE AND DISTRIBUTION;2.5 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGIES (AETIOLOGY)
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE