Anatomy of inequality

How unequal is British society? The National Equality Panel, in its report on economic inequality, breaks the bad news (or tells us what we know already) about the distribution of wealth in the UK. In spite of all efforts to change the situation "the large inequality growth between the late 1970s and early 1990s has not been reversed. " While some of the widest gaps (such as those in educational qualifications amongst some ethnic groups) have narrowed, there remain "deep-seated and systematic differences in economic outcomes between social groups" in all the dimensions the Panel considered. The report looks at educational achievement, employment status and income as well as wealth per se.

So, farewell then...

Tributes to Sir Donald Acheson have been pouring in: the Guardian, the Times and the Telegraph have all carried obituaries recently. Acheson, who died on 10 January 2010, was Chief Medical Officer between 1983 and 1991. Although the end of his term of office was somewhat clouded by the BSE crisis, he is remembered more appreciatively for his ability to persuade the Thatcher government “to adopt a liberal approach” in tackling AIDS, focusing on education, rather than compulsory AIDS testing (says the Guardian). He is also widely credited with raising the profile of public health. However, it is for his 1998 report on health inequalities that he will be best remembered. Tasked by the incoming Labour government with examining the causes of a widening gap between the health of rich and poor, the report has shaped public health policy for a decade. Looking ahead, it is expected that the Marmot Review, which picks up where Acheson left off, will be published in February.

Can the government make you happy?

Researchers for the Young Foundation mull over this question in their report, the State of Happiness. Looking at wellbeing driven policy interventions in a variety of places across the UK, the report concludes that "wellbeing can be made a practical policy goal." It examines results from the Local Wellbeing Project, a combined effort from the Young Foundation, IDeA and a group of local authorities, amongst others.

Healthy eating - right from the start

Start4life is the latest campaign from the Change4life stable, focusing on helping parents of babies and young children establish healthy feeding habits in their offspring. Along with the usual website, there is a short film featuring "one of the famous Change4Life plasticine characters being moulded by a mum" to be shown in antenatal clinics and on BabyTV . Advice covers breastfeeding, introducing solid food and avoiding sweet foods. There are posters and leaflets, which can be downloaded from the website or ordered by telephone.

Deprivation in New Deal for Communities areas

Is the Government's regeneration programme, New Deal for Communities (NDC), which began in 1998, really working? A report from Communites and Local Government Department examines data from the Economic Deprivation Index (EDI) for the 39 New Deal areas between 1995 and 2005. It considers whether there has been any substantial reduction in economic deprivation in NDC areas and looks at how progress in NDC areas compares with their wider locality and other deprived areas. Although absolute rates of deprivation fell during the decade under observation, the report makes it clear that NDC areas continue to compare unfavourably with other areas as regards progress in reducing economic deprivation. The report also notes some interesting trends at lower levels of detail (using lower super output area level data and some case studies), which show that deprived areas are far less homogenous than might be expected. This detailed analysis shows how small pockets of deprivation can easily be hidden when looking at more general trends of improvement. There's also a companion report that looks at public spending in NDC areas.

Childhood obesity rise a class matter?

There may be evidence of a levelling off in the rise in UK childhood obesity figures (see Fair's Fare 16 December), but it's not affecting everyone equally, according to research published in the International Journal of Obesity. The team from University College London (UCL) looked at data from the Health Survey for England between 1997 and 2007, aiming to update trends amongst school-age children and consider how the "socioeconomic gradient" has changed. They found that although there has been stabilisation in the prevalence of obesity, "children from lower socio-economic strata have not benefited from this trend." The latest release from the Health Survey for England, providing data from 2008, was published in December. Along withthe usual summary data, the subject focus for this release is physical activity and fitness. The survey also provides information on smoking, obesity, healthy eating and alcohol consumption.

Prison health

Enhancing the Healing Environment (EHE), the King's Fund programme of nurse-led projects designed to improve the healthcare setting for patients, has been up and running in prisons over the past year. DH has now agreed to extend the programme to a further 10 Prisons and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) in 2010. EHE was first used in acute care, but has now been employed in mental health settings, end-of-life care and services for people with learning disabilities. Applications to join this new round of EHE in prisons should be in by 22 January.

Health promotion commissioning guidance

The Royal Society for Public Health has published a guide for commissioners considering health promotion and looking in particular at the role of social marketing. Produced in association with the National Social Marketing Centre, the guide offers examples of good practice and self-assessment tools.

Domestic Violence

Following the government's cross-departmental strategy for curbing violence against women and girls (Together we can ...), the Home Office has issued draft guidance for local commissioners and partnerships. Comments are due in by 15 March 2010.