1. Recapitulation: Descriptive Health Data
Descriptive Health Data: Recap
Dr Roland Salmon

2. Aims
Describe health in vicinity of cement works using routinely available data
Put in context of N Wales & Wales
Focus on initial concerns:
General health or ill health
Levels of cancer
Levels of respiratory disease
Illness or death at a younger age
NOT ‘cause and effect’
Descriptive Health Data: Recap

3. What we did Select a geography Small area to show detail
Large enough population for robust, reliable results
MSOA chosen for this purpose
Descriptive Health Data: Recap

4. Focus on seven MSOAs Descriptive Health Data: Recap
MSOA including Hansent Cement Plant (017), and five adjacent MSOAs. These MSOAs coincide with the MSOAs considered to be most relevant following examination of environmental and complaints data which has been undertaken separately during the initial part of this investigation.
MSOA 020, including Hope and Caergwrle, has also been highlighted at the request of the Hope Community Council at the previous meeting.
The second map shows electoral divisions in relation to the MSOAs
Descriptive Health Data: Recap

5. Statistics Rate Age standardised Confidence intervals
The number of (e.g. deaths) per 100,000 people
Age standardised
Allow for differences in age structure
Confidence intervals
How much rate is influenced by random factors
Statistical significance
Rate unlikely to be as different from all-Wales rate due to chance alone
False positives & false negatives
Because age is one of the factors that most affects whether you
Descriptive Health Data: Recap

6. Factors affecting health & health measures
General Socio economic,
Cultural and environmental conditions
Living & working conditions
Traffic
Education
Family & community networks
Agriculture
& food
Lifestyle
Housing
Illicit drugs
Eating habits
In looking at the data, bear in mind that a wide range of complex factors affect the patterns of health seen in different communities.
Employ-
ment
Alcohol
Health care
Work
environment
Social
support
Age, sex,
heredity
Tobacco
Physical
activity
Social
network
Based on Dahlgren & Whitehead, Lancet, 1991; & Beth Hammarström
Descriptive Health Data: Recap

7. About cancer & respiratory illness
1 in 3 lifetime risk
28% of deaths
Different cancers have different risk factors
Tobacco; diet; infectious agents
Association with deprivation variable
Respiratory illness
14% of deaths
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Association with tobacco smoke exposure
Asthma
Causes less certain
Allergen exposure
Deaths are rare
Descriptive Health Data: Recap

8. Descriptive Health Data: Recap
If no real difference in underlying rate compared to Wales, expect about one in 20 to be statistically higher, and one in 20 to be statistically lower. One in 147 analyses was statistically higher; whereas 32 were statistically significantly lower. The one we can see was the last indicator, all cause cancer, MSOA 020
Descriptive Health Data: Recap

9. Summary
Routine information suggests health is generally as good or better in the areas around the cement plant than typical for Wales
One indicator (all cause cancer) statistically significantly high in one area
The factors that contribute to the levels of health measured are complex
Deprivation is likely to contribute to the levels of health seen
Descriptive Health Data: Recap