Social, Political and Ethical Issues in Public Health: Manchester - Research Proposal Example

Social, Political and Ethical Issues in Public Health: Manchester By Date of submission Social, Political and Ethical Issues in Public Health: Manchester The Greater Manchester community is in a very poor state when it comes to health related issues. It has the highest rate of cancer, obesity and heart related illnesses when compared to other areas in England. Although the death rates in Manchester have declined in the last decade, the rates still remain above the national average. The Manchester community comprises different races living together. The table below shows races within Manchester. Pop. Of Race % Race White 162,142 89.9% Black 4,964 2.8% American Indian/Alaska Natives 451 0.3% Asian 5,147 2.9% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders 88 0.0% Multiracial 3,818 2.1% Other Races 3,723 2.1% One of the key reasons for the health inequality in Manchester is ‘Food Poverty’. Food Poverty can be described as restricted access to different kinds of foods which leads to poor diet and then poor health. It is mostly caused by low income or rising food and fuel prices. (GMPAG, 2013) In a recent study dubbed Food Poverty and Food Bank referrals, Manchester was found to be the fourth poorest area in England. Half of all deprivation areas were from this region. A report by Kellogg showed that people are spending more and eating less as compared to five years ago. Food prices have increased by 20% but the consumption rate has decreased by at least 7%. A recent study by DEFRA also shows that there was a 30% decline in fruit and vegetable consumption among the poorest families. This has led to poor health conditions among these families. More than 30% of all heart and cancer deaths have been linked to poor diet in this region. (MCABS, 2013) Due to food problems in Manchester, there are several organizations that help people with food parcels. Trussell Trust has more than 10 food banks that supply the area with 12 tonnes of eatables that cater to 1500 people per month. Other organizations include Mustard Tree which helps 200 people and FareShare North West which supports 50 families. There are also community based groups like SureStart and Lifeshare Breakfast project which assist disadvantaged families. Other statistics include: 40% of Manchester children live in poverty. 40% of children are either obese or overweight. 14% of older people aged 65 and over are malnourished. Another reason is unemployment rate. The type of job can put people under health risks especially if they are manual. Conversely, no work can also lead to heart related sicknesses. In February 2013, 61,175 Manchester residents claimed out of work benefits like Lone Parent Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Job Seekers Allowance. This is a 17.1% of the working age population in the area. Moss Side with 7.9% unemployment rate is ranked highest while Chorlton is lowest with a 2.4% unemployment rate. (Manchester City Council, 2013) Strategies to Prevent obesity According to the National Institute of Health, a body mass index of 30 and above is considered obese. A BMI of 18 to 24.9 is regarded as normal, 25 to 29.9 is regarded as overweight while a BMI of 30 and above is regarded as obese. Obese and overweight people have higher chances of developing health problems. The table below shows the rates of obesity and overweight in Manchester. City of Manchester Residents earning less than $25,000 per annum Overweight 30.0% 21.6% Obese 31.4% 34.9% There is a higher correlation between people with low income and obesity levels, that is, these people are more likely to be obese than overweight. Obesity can only be controlled through physical exercises which apparently most people in Manchester do not partake on. The Manchester City Council may formulate strategies to try and curb this health issue. For instance, it may build more parks and other recreational facilities and renovate the existing ones to encourage people to do exercises. Improving green spaces to increase fresh air in parks and organizing running competitions will attract people. They can also work hand in hand with industries and organization to construct cycling tracks and walking routes and gyms to ensure that the employees are always physically active. Organizations can also be compelled to organize competitions among their employees and also among different organizations to encourage them to train and this will eventually reduce the fat levels in their bodies. The rate of drug abuse in Manchester is also higher than the national average. This explains why the city is grappling with poor health. People should be taught from childhood about the risks associated with drug abuse. The city council together with other organization should regularly organize meetings with the communities to discourage this vice that is increasing each year. When it comes to food, people should concentrate on quality food that is nutritious rather than large quantity of food that has les nutrients like fatty foods and sugary drinks. Recommendations for Health Inequalities in Manchester An analysis carried out by Scientific America showed that human behaviour such as diet and smoking had a 30% influence on health while the physical environment accounted for 10%. Health care like clinical medication had a 20% influence on the health of people (Franklin, 2011). Socioeconomic factors accounted for the biggest percentage at 40%. Local authorities are the best placed to control socioeconomic factors. Many Economists argue that the best way to improve and reduce health inequalities would be to manipulate socioeconomic status of people; for instance, improving the education sector and also redistributing incomes in favour of the poor (Deaton, 2003). The city council should therefore strive to reduce economic disparity among the poor and the rich to reduce the health inequalities. Education Research done by David Cutler and Adriana Lleras-Muney indicated that there is a correlation between education and health. Apart from the fact that education opens avenues for economic prosperity, they found that people with higher education were less likely to undergo depression and were more likely to understand and follow health information (Cutler & Lleras-Muney, 2007). There is substantial evidence that indicate that low attainment in education is a predictor of future health problems and poor income. This is mainly because patterns of human behaviour are established in school. These behaviours have a profound effect on future health of a person. Decisions about drug abuse, sexual activity and other behaviours are adopted at this stage and they influence people’s lives in later life. (NHSS, 2003) Food and Agriculture There are places in Manchester known as Food deserts where people cannot access food. The food problem may be attributed partly to supermarket chains that are encouraging consumption of unhealthy foods and also due to poor mechanisms to increase food production. Due to the apparent food issue, the city council was forced to adopted measures to tackle the issue. The city council together with the National Health Service and other groups set up Manchester Food Futures in 2004. The main aim of this organization was/is to improve on the quality of food produced and also increase the number of needy people that benefit from the foods. There are also various initiatives that provide easier and instant access to fresh foods. For instance, Dig Box Scheme and Herbie Van have made it their duty to reach to out to as many people as possible with their fresh and quality produce. (Levidow, et al., 2010) Housing There is a direct link between quality of housing and health. Houses that are warm and dry are associated with good health while cold and wet ones are linked to poor health. There are several factors in the latter houses that increase health risks, for instance, excessive cold, mould, damp and structural anomalies that increase chances of accidents. There were more than 36,000 deaths in England and Wales in 2009 due to winter cold alone (Houses of Parliament, 2011). According to WHO, 90% of a person’s day in the developed world is spent in buildings. Therefore, health risks associated with in-built shelters are very serious. A major move by the government was to formulate the Decent Homes Programme to upgrade houses and reduce the risks associated with bad housing (Houses of Parliament, 2011). According to World Health Organization, the following are the common agents in houses that trigger poor health: Poor structures in shelters. This was the leading cause of home injuries among children from 2002-2004. The only way to prevent these accidents is to have quality building designs. Air quality in houses. The quality of air can be determined by many factors which can be categorized as chemical, biological and physical factors. They include but not limited to: cleaning products, cooking, lead based paints and moisture. Houses should be regularly checked by experts. Pests. These are mostly prevalent during the warm climate. They can be reduced by either an exterminator or adequate conditions in the house. Crowding. Lack of space increases the risk of infectious transmission of diseases. Proper arrangement and space usability is the only solution to crowding. Impact of Food on Obesity Obesity is a major health issue not only in Manchester but in the whole world. In 2007, 22.9% of men and 23.4% of women were obese, but by 2012 the figures had risen to 31% for both men and women. Obesity is linked to wide range of health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart problems and high blood pressure and reduces the lifespan by 9 years on average (Manchester City Council, 2007). People become obese when they consume more calories than their bodies can burn and the extra calories are stored as fat in the bodies. High consumption of sugars, fats and alcohol are the main culprits. The only way to reduce obesity would be a change of lifestyle or eating habits and regular exercises to burn the excess fats. (NHS, 2012) Changing the eating habits Obesity is a gradual process that does not occur overnight. It develops after a long period of poor dietary and lifestyle choices. Behaviours linked to obesity include: Overeating due to stress. Drinking too much alcohol. Consuming processed, junk and fast foods. Not eating fruits and vegetables. Eating large quantities with no physical exercises. The only way to shed the extra fat would be to cut down on the calories intake and increase physical activities by hitting the gym. Regular exercises accompanied by foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients, but low in fats and sugars will surely do the trick (Brusso, 2014). At present, the City council has clearly spelt guidelines on how employees should be protected under the Employee Health Policy. Through the Occupational Health Department, the council also organizes annual health fair that educates employees on healthy lifestyles. List of References Bambra, Claire Jan. 20, 2014, Fight Health Inequality. Retrieved from . [Apr. 21, 2014]. Blackburn, Samantha, Mir, Maaheen 2012, Manchester obesity on the up. Retrieved from < http://www.quaysnews.net/Manchester_obesity_on_the_up-14683.html>. [Apr. 21 2014]. Brusso, Jessica Feb. 08, 2014, Foods That Contribute to Obesity. Retrieved from . [Apr. 21, 2014]. 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