Public Health

Life Circumstances are the circumstances in which people live which impact directly on their health both mentally and physically (Scottish Public Health Observatory).These circumstances can include:

• Living conditions e.g. secure housing, locality, overcrowding, green space, traffic
• Income e.g. having enough to live on
• Secure and good employment e.g. Living Wage
• Education e.g. Opportunities for Learning

Evidence suggests that if these issues are taken into account as part of an individual’s care in the NHS then opportunities arise which can lead to improvements in health and reduction in inequalities.

For example, current reforms to the welfare state are likely to impact adversely on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde patients for example they may increase mental distress, poverty and diseases related to poverty all of which will have an impact on the individual, their family and friends and the NHS in responding to increased demand.  Income inequality in the United Kingdom is currently at its highest in the last 40 years. Increasing rates of child poverty have also been noted with 1 in 5 children in Scotland living in poverty with this rising to 1 in 3 where there is a child with a disability.

Life circumstances are also linked to social class which include factors such as economics (wealth/income/occupation), political factors (status/power) and cultural factors (lifestyle/education/values/beliefs). 

Evidence suggests that individuals with poorer life circumstances are:

• More likely to have poorer health including living with long term conditions e.g. Heart Disease
• More  likely to die prematurely
• More likely to be living in poverty
• Less likely to make healthier lifestyle choices
• Less likely to achieve good educational qualifications
• More likely to be living in communities of high deprivation
• More likely to be in insecure employment, in work poverty and underemployment 

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have a range of programmes to tackle life circumstances which includes access to money advice in acute hospitals, employability services, staff training programmes and service delivery developments.

Resources for NHSGGC Staff

An e module has been developed for all NHSGGC Staff on:

• Poverty and Financial Inclusion
• Employability

• These can be accessed via LearnPro and can be found under the specialist subjects tab

See also:

• Health Scotland  – Financial inclusion referral pathway toolkit

Health Literacy is about people having enough knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to use health information, to be more active partners in their care, and to navigate health and social care systems.

Health Literacy is being increasingly recognised as a significant public health concern. Health Literacy can affect anyone at anytime,  for example receiving new or distressing health information. Never make assumptions about a person’s health literacy level as it may not always be apparent.

• Good Communication Techniques from Alan Davidson on Vimeo.

Health Literacy in Scotland. Making it Easy from NES on Vimeo.

Those of us with lower levels of Health Literacy:

• Are generally 1½ to 3 times more likely to experience poor health outcomes
• Have poorer health status and self-reported health
• Wait until we are sicker before we go to the doctor
• Find it harder to access services appropriate to our needs
• Find it harder to understand labelling and take medication as directed
• Are less able to communicate with healthcare professionals and take part in decisions
• Are less likely to engage with health promotional activities, such as influenza vaccination and breast screening
• Are at increased risk of developing multiple health problems
• Have higher rates of avoidable and emergency  admissions
• Have higher risks of hospitalisation and longer in-patient stays
• Have difficulty managing our own health and wellbeing, that of our children, and of anyone else we care for
• Have greater difficulty looking after ourselves when we have long-term conditions

Further information can be found on the following websites:

• Making it Easy – a health literacy action plan for Scotland
• Making it Easier – a health literacy action plan for Scotland 2017-2025
• The Health Literacy Place – this website is the main source of health literacy resources in Scotland.
• NHS Inform – It’s okay to ask

Our Information Management Team has produced an Introduction to Health Literacy Sway Presentation.