UK Healthy Living

ukhealthyliving

The UK boasts a culturally diverse population with ethnic minorities accounting for almost 8% of the population in the 2001 census. It is becoming increasingly apparent that each population group, either that determined by religion or ethnicity, have differences in terms of illness behaviour, seeking assistance with health matters and beliefs about illness.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still the largest cause of death in the United Kingdom, a fact which also applies to ethnic minority groups. Research has found that those people from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka carry a fifty percent higher risk of suffering from an early death due to heart disease than others living in the UK. Furthermore, those from the southern areas of Asia show an apparent increase in the likelihood of developing heart conditions than the rest of the UK’s general population.  It is not certain why these differences are occurring but it is thought to some degree, to relate to attitudes to smoking, diet and exercise.

In 19991 and again in 2004, the Health Survey for England performed surveys on ethnic minority groups. Participants were randomly chosen and then visited by a researcher who obtained survey results.

  • There was an increase in the prevalence of CVD in all ethnic minorities but more worryingly the increase was particularly high in Pakistani men when the two surveys were compared.
  • Black Caribbean men have a much higher prevalence of stroke – the risk is almost two thirds higher than the general population. Indian men also have a higher risk of stroke (relative risk 1.42).1 However, high rates of stroke were also seen in Bangladeshi women, Pakistani women and Irish men.
  • The 1999 and 2004 surveys both reported that the prevalence of diabetes is greater in men than women. The observed prevalence was markedly higher in Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian and Black Caribbean patients.1 For the Bangladeshi and Pakistani population this represents an almost 5 times higher prevalence than the general population.
  • The 2004 survey also reported on self-reported health, longstanding illness and social support.
  • Bangladeshi and Pakistani men and also Black Caribbean women are more likely to report bad or very bad health. The cause of this is unclear.
  • Pakistani women and Bangladeshi men were more likely to report the presence of a longstanding illness which limited them on a daily basis. Furthermore, the figures had increased in Pakistani women by almost 10% when compared to the results of the 1999 survey.
  • Of more concern, all ethnic minorities reported a severe lack of support, especially people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin.
  1. National Statistics; Population, Ethnicity and Religion; Census 2001.

The UK Healthy Living project involves UK Medical and Dental students giving advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and therefore reducing the incidence of disease in ethnic minorities.

We currently provide the following services in the patient’s own language:

  • Advice seminars on lifestyle modifications (e.g. weight reduction, salt reduction, healthy low-fat diet and increased exercise).
  • Health Screening workshops– measuring blood pressure, blood glucose levels, plotting weight and height.
  • Breast and Ovarian Cancer Advice seminars
  • Oral Hygiene seminars
  • Smoking Cessation seminars