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Grim up North or Northern Grit? Recessions and the English spatial health divide (1991-2010)

Copeland, A.; Kasim, A.; Bambra, C.

Grim up North or Northern Grit? Recessions and the English spatial health divide (1991-2010) Thumbnail


Authors

A. Copeland

A. Kasim

C. Bambra



Abstract

Background Previous research suggests that the health effects of recessions are mixed and vary spatially between countries. Using the North-South English health divide as an example, this paper examines whether there are also spatial variations within countries. Methods Cross-sectional data on self-reported ‘not good health’ was obtained from the British Household Panel Survey and the Health Survey for England from 1991 to 2010. Age-adjusted generalized linear models were used to examine the effects of recessions (1990/91 and 2008/09) on self-reported health in the four English NHS Commissioning Regions (North, South, Midlands and London) with stratification by gender. Results Over the 20-year study period, the North had consistently higher rates of ‘not good health’ than the South [OR 1.50 (1.46–1.55) outside recessions and OR 1.29 (1.19–1.39) during recessions]. However, during periods of recession, this health divide narrowed slightly with a 2% decrease in the prevalence of ‘not good health’ in the North [OR 0.91 (0.86, 0.96)]. Conclusion This study is evidence of spatial variations in the health effects of recessions within England and the North-South divide appears to slightly reduce during recessions. Health in the North remains worse than the South.

Citation

Copeland, A., Kasim, A., & Bambra, C. (2015). Grim up North or Northern Grit? Recessions and the English spatial health divide (1991-2010). Journal of Public Health, 37(1), 34-39. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdu019

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Mar 18, 2014
Publication Date Mar 1, 2015
Deposit Date May 15, 2014
Publicly Available Date Jun 20, 2014
Journal Journal of Public Health
Print ISSN 1741-3842
Electronic ISSN 1741-3850
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 37
Issue 1
Pages 34-39
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdu019
Keywords Economics, North South divide, Public health, Recessions, Social determinants.
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1455086

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Copyright Statement
This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Public Health following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Alison Copeland, Adetayo Kasim, and Clare Bambra (2014) Grim up North or Northern grit? Recessions and the English spatial health divide (1991–2010), Journal of Public Health, 37 (1): 34-39 is available online at: http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/03/17/pubmed.fdu019






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