7. Within countries: UK
Inequalities in life expectancy and
healthy life expectancy at birth
between more and less
disadvantaged areas of England
Women: 6 years difference in life
expectancy and 20.2 years difference in
healthy life expectancy between most and
least deprived areas
Poorest
areas
Richest
areas
Men-8 years difference in life expectancy
19 years difference in healthy life expectancy
h;p://visual.ons.gov.uk/how-long-will-
you-live-in-good-health/
8. Life expectancy by local authority areas in
England: 2009-13; greatest gap is 7 years for
women and 9 years for men
On average health of population
in the north is worse than that in
the south even when they are
living in the same socio-
economic circumstances
Within Country - The North South Divide
9. At the local level â health inequalities in Lancaster
Pattern of disadvantage
Lancaster
Inequalities in life expectancy by area
disadvantage â 10 years shorter for
men and 9 years for women in most
disadvantaged areas
10. 1. Practical wisdom & health inequalities
â˘âŻ individuals dominate
â˘âŻ but as accumulations of risks,
vulnerabilities and resiliencies
or sets of freely chosen
behaviours
Absence of people as
âknowing subjectsâ using
practical wisdom to make decisions
that are logical
in context of their lives
11. Many fault lines between lay and professional
understandings
â˘âŻ Practical wisdom connects experience and behaviour with material and social
context and presents health damaging behaviour as coping strategies
â˘âŻ Professionals/researchers fragment peopleâs experience into individual or
clusters of behaviours and/or lifestyle too often presented as âfreely chosenâ
â˘âŻ Practical wisdom reflects realistic assessments of limited opportunities for
control - professionals see fatalism, low locus of control or health âilliteracyâ
â˘âŻ Lay people and professionals may share âvaluesâ but interpret implications for
action differently e.g.
â⯠Both accept parental responsibility for child safety but professionals emphasise their
educational role, parentsâ emphasise responsibility of many agencies & people
14. Public images of health
issues in UK
BreasTeeding
mothers oďŹered
ÂŁ200 in shop
vouchers
Paying pregnant
smokers to quit in
Glasgow
Get Paid to
Exercise and Live a
Healthier Lifestyle
â BUPA ini0a0ve
Pay children to
read books â
Pay4Performance
Obesity crisis: get
paid to lose
weight
Pay kids to eat
fruits, vegetables
Incentives and
the rise of nudge
Better lifestyles = better health
21. â˘âŻ Many surprises along the way â but least likely events may oďŹer opportuni0es
â˘âŻ Missed opportuni0es arenât a disaster but formal qualiďŹca0ons more important now
â˘âŻ Most sectors value pathways they know â but academia may be par0cularly conserva0ve
â˘âŻ Building and maintaining rela0onships over 0me is really important
â˘âŻ Learning to deal with diďŹcult situa0ons and diďŹcult people very valuable
â˘âŻ Working across sectors has value: acquiring diverse knowledge and understanding
â˘âŻ Gender ma;ers âcombining work and family makes a career more diďŹcult to maintain
Lessons from my careerâŚâŚ.
â˘âŻ Leaving things to serendipity has some disadvantages but
can be more exci0ng and rewarding in long run
â˘âŻ I may have followed a path more tortuous than most but
âHappy Chanceâ creates academic mongrels â we are
tough but it can be harder to demonstrate worth