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Four - Physical health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

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Summary

Key statistics

  • • Infant mortality rates in the UK remain relatively high compared to other rich countries. Northern Ireland has a higher infant mortality rate than the rest of the UK.

  • • Low birth weight births are also higher than in comparable countries, and this appears static over time.

  • • The child mortality and child accidental death rates are comparatively low and similar across the constituent countries of the UK.

  • • Immunisation rates for infectious diseases are slightly lower than in other rich countries, particularly for measles, mumps and rubella.

  • • Breastfeeding rates remain low.

  • • With the exception of physical exercise, most health behaviour is comparatively poor.

  • • Rates of sexually transmitted diseases are high, but this may be affected by recent campaigns to increase the take-up of screening.

  • • The UK failed to meet its target on teenage pregnancy, but the rate has been falling rapidly since 2008.

  • • Self-assessed health is comparatively poor.

  • Key trends

  • • The long-term downward trend in infant and child mortality continues, and the infant mortality rate for 2013 is the lowest ever recorded.

  • • The social class gap in infant mortality has been increasing over the last decade.

  • • Cancer has overtaken accidents as the main cause of child deaths.

  • • Immunisation rates are recovering, but there have been epidemics of measles and mumps.

  • • Breastfeeding rates have improved very slightly.

  • • The incidence of deaths and serious injuries on the roads has continued to decline.

  • • Health behaviour has been improving. The exception is early sexual activity, although teenage conceptions have fallen rapidly since 2008.

  • • The upwards trend in sexually transmitted diseases may be levelling off.

  • • There is tentative evidence that obesity rates may be falling.

  • • Self-assessed health has been improving.

  • Key sources

  • • Office for National Statistics (ONS)

  • • Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)

  • • Health Survey for England (HSE)

  • • OECD Health database

  • • Health Behaviour of School-aged Children (HBSC) study

  • • Department for Transport (DfT)

  • • Child and Maternal Health Observatory (CHIMAT)

Introduction

This chapter focuses on the physical health of children and their health behaviour (subjective well-being and mental health are covered in Chapter Five).

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Bristol University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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