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Mortality rates for farmers and fishermen in Japan compared with England and Wales.

Life tables for all causes of death for farmers and fishermen in Japan have been compared with those for England and Wales. Considering all causes of death, there are no occupational differences between farmers and fishermen in Japan. On the other hand, there are large occupational differences indicating that fishermen are worse off than farmers in England and Wales. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) for each disease in terms of occupation have also been compared in the two countries. The SMRs for leading causes of death in Japan, such as cerebrovascular disease, are significantly lower for fishermen than for farmers in Japan. On the contrary, SMRs for leading causes of death in England and Wales, such as ischemic heart disease and lung cancer, are significantly higher for fishermen than for farmers in England and Wales. However the SMRs for ischemic heart disease and lung cancer are significantly higher for fishermen than for farmers in both countries.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Cancer survival rates and GDP expenditure on health: a comparison of England and Wales and the USA, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland in the 1990s.

Health funding is central to public health planning and clinical practice, hence this comparison of GDP health expenditure and five year post-diagnostic cancer survival rates of England and Wales with the USA and eight European countries. The three lowest proportional GDP health expenditures over the period 1980-1990 were Denmark, England and Wales, and Spain. The USA had the highest proportional GDP expenditure, followed by France, Germany, and The Netherlands. Overall the USA had the best cancer survival rates in the 14 sites reviewed, followed by Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Germany. The least successful were Spain, England and Wales, and Italy. In respect to the high incidence cancers, colorectal, lung, and female breast cancers, England and Wales survival rates were the poorest of all ten countries, followed by Denmark and Spain. Higher GDP health expenditure and longer survival rates for each gender were significantly correlated indicating a possible association between fiscal input and clinical outcomes, which poses problems for the development of effective public health.

Denmark↗

The duration and magnitude of influenza epidemics: a study of surveillance data from sentinel general practices in England, Wales and the Netherlands.

Weekly incidence data for influenza-like illness, routinely collected in sentinel general practices in England and Wales and in the Netherlands over 10 winter periods (week 37 in one year to week 20 in the next, 1987/1988-1996/1997) were examined in conjunction with matching virus isolate data to define epidemic periods of influenza in the two countries. We first defined the background rates of recording influenza-like illness which occurred at times when only sporadic or no isolations of virus were reported. The background rates were similar in the two networks with mean weekly incidence in England and Wales of 28.1 per 100,000 (all ages) and in the Netherlands 29.8. Epidemic periods defined as lying above the upper 95% confidence level of the background rate lasted on an average of about 10 weeks. Once epidemics were recognised, peak incidence was generally achieved within 4 weeks. The excess population (all ages) consulting general practitioners during influenza epidemic periods was calculated from the difference between the observed and background incidence rates, and expressed as a percentage of the total population. In the 10 periods surveyed, the percentage of the population consulting and diagnosed with influenza-like illness in England and Wales ranged from 0.4% in 1991/1992 to 1.7% in 1989/1990 and in the Netherlands from 0.5% in 1990/ 1991 to 2.1% in 1989/1990. The duration and epidemic periods were broadly similar in the two countries though the excess consulting population during the 10 epidemics studied averaged 0.85% in England and Wales compared with 1.39% in the Netherlands. There were substantial differences between the two countries in the impact of influenza in individual years, as measured in the consulting population even though the predominant virus (sub)types were similar.

Disease Outbreaks↗

Geographic distribution of lung and stomach cancers in England and Wales over 50 years: changing and unchanging patterns.

The distribution of cancers of the lung and stomach in the counties of England and Wales in 1968-81 was mapped, and compared to the distribution in the country in 1921-30 described by Stocks. The high risk of stomach cancer in North Wales noted by Stocks was found still to exist in each sex, although its disparity from the rest of the country has diminished. In general the geographic distribution of stomach cancer in both periods has paralleled that of post-neonatal mortality, at the same time and earlier, as an index of general poverty, but postneonatal mortality in North Wales has not been exceptionally high. In 1921-30 the highest risk of lung cancer was in and around London. In the modern data this was still true for older women, but for men and women under 45 years of age, and to a lesser extent for older men, the pattern has changed greatly; the epidemic has moved north, and highest risk is now in Northumberland and Durham. This spread appears to have occurred earlier for men than for women, and for urban than for rural areas, occurring latest of all for women in rural areas. Regional disparity has also increased, especially in males: risks in the northern regions are now over twice those in much of Wales and the South.

Demography↗

Kaposi's sarcoma in England and Wales before the AIDS epidemic.

The epidemiological features of Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS) incidence in England and Wales in the period 1971-1980 are reviewed. The epidemiology of KS in England and Wales in this period is distinct from that associated with the AIDS epidemic. The incidence was probably very low compared to other Western countries, there was little male excess, and no indication, based on marital status data, of a raised incidence in male homosexuals. Half the cases registered were in people born outside the UK. The region of birth distribution in these migrants reflected the known pre-AIDS geographic distribution of KS and also pointed to high risks in those from Middle Eastern countries and the Caribbean. The very low incidence rates of KS in natives of England and Wales suggests that the background prevalence of the causative agent for KS was low in England and Wales prior to the AIDS epidemic.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Cancer mortality in Indian and British ethnic immigrants from the Indian subcontinent to England and Wales.

Risk of cancer mortality from 1973 to 1985 in persons born in the Indian subcontinent who migrated to England and Wales was analysed by ethnicity, and compared with cancer mortality in the England and Wales native population, using data from England and Wales death certificates. There were substantial highly significant raised risks in Indian ethnic migrants for cancers of the mouth and pharynx, gall bladder, and liver in each sex, larynx and thyroid in males, and oesophagus in females. There were also substantial raised risks in these migrants of each sex for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and myeloma. For the mouth and pharynx, and liver in each sex, and gall bladder in females, there were also raised risks of lesser magnitude in British ethnic migrants. For colon and rectal cancer and cutaneous melanoma in each sex, ovarian cancer in women and bladder cancer in men, there were appreciable significantly reduced risks in the Indian ethnic migrants not shared by those of British ethnicity. Appreciable raised risks in British ethnic migrants not shared by those of Indian ethnicity occurred for nasopharyngeal cancer in males, soft tissue malignancy in both sexes and non-melanoma skin cancer in males. In migrants of both ethnicities there were appreciable significantly raised risks in each sex for leukaemia and decreased risks in each sex for gastric cancer, for lung cancer except in females of British ethnicity and in males for testicular cancer. The results suggest the need for public health measures to combat the high risks of oral and pharyngeal cancers and liver cancer in the Indian ethnic immigrant population of England and Wales, by prevention of betel quid chewing and hepatitis transmission respectively. The data also imply that early exposures or early acquired behaviours in India, or exposures during migration, may increase the risk of leukaemia and reduce the risks of gastric and testicular cancers in the migrants irrespective of their ethnicity. Aetiological studies would be worthwhile to investigate the reasons for the sizeable decreased risk of colon and rectal cancer and increased risk of gall bladder cancer in each sex and the increased risk of thyroid and laryngeal cancer in males and oesophageal cancer in females of Indian ethnicity but not of British ethnicity who have migrated from the Indian subcontinent.

Adolescent↗

Uncovering the genomic landscape of Mycobacterium bovis in Wales.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, is one of the most pressing animal health issues in Wales today. It negatively impacts cattle health, affects profitability and trade, and can decimate years of genetic improvement towards desirable production traits. It also imposes substantial financial, social, and psychological burdens on farming communities. Eradication of bTB requires an understanding of local transmission pathways to target effective disease-control interventions. In this study, we characterised the genomic diversity of M. bovis across Wales by analysing the genome sequence of 379 M. bovis isolates obtained from culture-positive animals in Wales in 2021. Analyses uncovered three prevalent clusters that are geographically distinct. A further three clusters containing fewer isolates were also geographically separated, two of which had particularly large SNP distances from most other Welsh isolates, suggesting independent introductions of M. bovis strains that are not endemic to Wales. Fine-scale and epidemiologically relevant genetic structuring was identified within the six main clusters, indicating region-specific evolution, which can drive local disease dynamics. Finally, SNPs were identified in coding genes that have the potential for important advantageous physiological consequences that may impact host-pathogen interactions and necessitate further investigation.

Animals↗

Sedation in Wales: a questionnaire.

AIM: To identify the current provision of sedation in primary dental care in Wales. DESIGN: Postal questionnaire survey. SETTING: Wales 2003. SUBJECTS AND MATERIALS: Questionnaires were sent to all dentists appearing on the Dentists Register with addresses in Wales (n = 1374). The questionnaires sought details on personal status, use of and training in conscious sedation techniques. RESULTS: In total 951 (69%) questionnaires were returned, 720 (90%) respondents worked in a primary dental care setting. Only 87 (12.1%) primary care dentists offered some form of sedation. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of conscious sedation services in primary dental care in Wales is poor.

Administration, Inhalation↗

New South Wales rural general practice from a Yank's perspective.

The author, a family practice specialist from Minnesota in the United States, worked as a locum in rural New South Wales for 6 months. This provided him with the opportunity to reflect on the differences between the specialty of family practice in his home state of Minnesota and general practice in New South Wales; and to recognise that general practice in New South Wales is at a crossroads. This paper highlights the need for general practitioners (GPs) to work together and support each other, to provide quality care and to lobby both State and Commonwealth governments on the importance of broadly trained GP specialists in rural communities. To influence the future of their profession, GPs in New South Wales need to focus on quality of care and on educating themselves, their colleagues and the communities in which they work.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

The Holistic Nurses Association of New South Wales: our history, our present and our future.

The Holistic Nurses Association (HNA) of New South Wales was formed in March 1995 by nurses inspired by the inaugural Natural Therapies Conference held by the New South Wales Nurses Association (NSWNA) in October 1994. A philosophy of providing support to nurses wishing to provide healthcare in a holistic way underpinned the formation of the HNA in a climate of disenchantment with the mechanistic and reductionist methods of modern healthcare. The main aims of the group are to share information, meet regularly for support, identify our goals and to organize presentations and workshops that promote and strengthen our professional goals and identity. The HNA has been recognised as a group to consult with regarding policy formation for the use of natural therapies within the mainstream health service. The Nurses Registration Board of New South Wales and the New South Wales Nurses Association both liaised with HNANSW when formulating their policies on the use of complementary therapies in nursing.

Forecasting↗

Patterns of mortality among Bangladeshis in England and Wales.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the patterns of mortality among Bangladeshis living in England and Wales. METHODS: An analysis of national mortality data, classified by country of birth, for the latest period (1988-1992), using the method of indirect standardization for deriving standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with the age- and sex-specific rates for England and Wales as the standard (= 100). The SMRs were derived for Bangladeshi-born men and women aged 20-69 years for major disease entities. RESULTS: The mortality among Bangladeshi men was significantly higher (SMR 118 and 95% CI 111-126) than the levels prevalent in England and Wales. In contrast, the mortality among Bangladeshi women was significantly lower (SMR 71 and 95% CI 61-82). The cancer mortality overall was lower than expected in both sexes, with the exception of cancer of the liver and gall bladder. The mortality from breast cancer (SMR 16 and 95% CI 6-34) and cervical cancer (SMR 51 and 95% CI 14-131) was lower than expected. Bangladeshi men experienced high mortality from diabetes (SMR 685 and 95% CI 529-874), coronary heart disease (SMR 148 and 95% CI 134-163) and cerebrovascular disease (SMR 267 and 95% CI 222-319); they also experienced excess deaths from cirrhosis of the liver (SMR 254 and 95% CI 175-357). CONCLUSIONS: The findings establish significant variations in the recent health experiences of Bangladeshi men living in England and Wales, posing a major challenge for purchasers of care. If the Health of the Nation strategy is to ensure that equity in health and health care is to apply to all those living in this country, the Bangladeshi population needs special targeting.

Adult↗

Mortality of hepatitis B surface antigen-positive blood donors in England and Wales.

BACKGROUND: Large population-based cohort studies in areas of high hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevalence have provided the evidence establishing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriage as a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver disease. Fewer studies have examined this in Western countries, where both HBV infection and carriage are less common and transmission patterns differ. This is the only prospective population-based study to examine this relationship in Europe. METHODS: In all, 2681 male and 977 female blood donors in England and Wales, found to be HBsAg positive during routine blood-donation screening, were followed up from recruitment in 1970-1982 to December 1999 and their cause-specific mortality was analysed. This was compared with that of the general population of England and Wales. RESULTS: During a mean of 22 years of follow-up, 17.4% of the 420 deaths were due to HCC or liver disease. There were 20 deaths from HCC in male HBsAg carriers, representing a significantly high standardized mortality ratio (SMR) compared to the male population of England and Wales of 26 (SMR = 26.26; 95% CI: 16.04- 40.54). The HCC incidence rate in males was 33.5 per 100 000 person years and 4.4 per 100 000 person years in females. Men had 8.5 (SMR = 8.50; 95% CI: 6.25- 11.31) and women had 3.9 times the risk of death from liver disease (SMR = 3.89; 95% CI: 1.26-9.09). The risk of circulatory disease deaths was reduced in both males and females. There was a significant increased risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma that was not apparent in the first decade of follow-up. The increased risk of HCC and liver disease in men fell with follow-up. CONCLUSION: Hepatitis B surface antigen carriage is a significant risk factor in England and Wales for both liver disease and HCC mortality. However, this risk has declined with duration of follow-up. This could be due to natural reversion to HBsAg negativity or as a result of treatment and avoidance of other risk factors. The increased risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma seen in longer follow-up is likely to be related to HIV infection acquired subsequent to recruitment.

Adolescent↗

The costs and effectiveness of surveillance of communicable disease: a case study of HIV and AIDS in England and Wales.

BACKGROUND: In England and Wales, surveillance of communicable disease is carried out and co-ordinated by the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS). The surveillance of HIV infection and AIDS is undertaken by the PHLS AIDS Centre at the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC). Epidemiological data derived from surveillance are not, however, a free good: they are a resource with an associated opportunity cost and should therefore be open to economic appraisal alongside other users of health care resources such as medical interventions. This paper assembles information on the current surveillance of HIV and AIDS in England and Wales, and explores methods for performing an economic evaluation of such activities. METHODS: An examination of the cost and effectiveness of the PHLS AIDS Centre's epidemiological surveillance mechanisms for HIV and AIDS in England and Wales was undertaken. The total costs of each component of surveillance of HIV and AIDS in England and Wales were calculated. Two categories of cost were estimated: peripheral costs incurred by reporters in reporting AIDS cases or HIV infections or by laboratories in collecting samples; and central costs incurred by the PHLS AIDS Centre in processing and analysing incoming data. Using these cost data and information from a cost-effectiveness register, the additional health gains that would have to be obtained from surveillance to make the programme broadly cost-effective in comparison with other accepted uses of health service resources were then estimated. RESULTS: In the financial year 1993-1994 the total costs of surveillance were estimated to be 1.4 million pounds. To avoid being considered relatively cost-ineffective at least 3.5 infections per annum need to be averted. To be considered favourably cost-effective, approximately 9.5 infections per annum need to be averted. CONCLUSIONS: In 1993-1994, expenditure on surveillance of HIV and AIDS accounted for less than 1 per cent of the total allocation of resources to the National Health Service for all HIV and AIDS activities. Given these cost estimates, the number of infections which surveillance would have to contribute towards preventing in order to be considered cost-effective is low.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

The provision of renal replacement therapy for adults in England and Wales: recent trends and future directions.

We assessed the level of provision of renal replacement therapy for adults in England and Wales. All autonomous main renal units in England (n = 52) and Wales (n = 5) were surveyed in 1996. Data for England were compared to the 1993 National Renal Review. The acceptance rate in England 1995 was 82 (80-85) per million population (p.m.p.) compared with 67 (65-70) p.m.p. in 1991-2. The rate in 1995 in Wales was 109 (98-122) p.m.p. The prevalence rate in England was 476 p.m.p. at end-1995 compared to 393 p.m.p. in 1993, in Wales it was 487 p.m.p. The number of main renal units in England did not rise between 1993 and 1995; capacity was increased by use of more treatment shifts and temporary haemodialysis stations, and by opening more satellite units. The main growth was in hospital haemodialysis. There was an uneven geographical distribution of services. Patients accepted were older with more comorbidity. The use of better-quality processes of dialysis increased. The steady-state position for RRT will not be reached for over a decade. Health authorities will face continued pressure to fund increases in quantity and quality improvements. A stronger evidence base of the effectiveness of therapies, and a national registry to monitor the equity and cost-effectiveness of services are needed.

Adolescent↗

Equity of access to dialysis facilities in Wales.

BACKGROUND: Demand for dialysis, particularly, in-centre haemodialysis (HD), is growing, and more units will be needed. Travel time to treatment is consistently a major area of concern for patients. AIM: To analyse access to current dialysis facilities in Wales, and use the data to help plan for new dialysis units. METHODS: We analysed a combination of UK Renal Registry, Welsh population census data, the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2005 (WIMD), travel time and geographical information systems. RESULTS: Prevalence of HD fell significantly with increasing travel time from units. This was not influenced by the WIMD. Prior to the opening of a new HD unit in Aberystwyth, prevalence in the surrounding area was significantly lower than for Wales as whole, but within 2 years, prevalence had risen to approximate national levels. In Haverfordwest, an area >30 min drive from any current facility, prevalence is consistently and significantly lower than for Wales as a whole, and has not shown the growth seen elsewhere in the country. DISCUSSION: The ability to combine data has enabled modelling of the likely immediate impact of opening a new unit in Haverfordwest, and also provided an estimate of its required capacity. This multidisciplinary approach to demand analysis should help to highlight areas of under-provision, and facilitate the planning of the sites and sizes of new dialysis units in Wales.

Health Services Accessibility↗

Maternal mortality and manpower. Comparisons in relation to anaesthetists, obstetricians, and paediatricians in England and Wales and in Japan.

In 1982 maternal mortality in England and Wales was given seven per 100 000 compared to 18 per 100 000 total births in Japan. This represented 160 more deaths in Japan. Perinatal mortality rates were similar in England and Wales and Japan, being 11.3 and 10.1 per 1000 respectively. The prevalence of obstetricians and paediatricians per 100 000 total births are approximately similar in England and Wales and in Japan, whereas the rates for anaesthetists are five times less in Japan. In England and Wales, 13% of maternal deaths were related to anaesthetic misadventures, but the Japanese incidence is not known. However, more than 50% of anaesthetics for Caesarean sections in district hospitals in Japan are administered by obstetricians. A pilot study in Japan would be necessary to determine the precise role of anaesthetic provision on maternal mortality. Maternal mortality may prove a useful indicator of anaesthetic service deficiency.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗

Linguistic sensitivity, indigenous peoples and the mental health system in Wales.

This paper presents findings from a pilot research project to explore the significance and availability of mental health services in the medium of Welsh in Wales, UK. Based on small-scale research with Welsh-speaking mental health service users this article argues that being bilingual can be a significant factor in the complex biopsychosocial matrix that underpins mental health problems amongst Welsh speakers. It also argues that the destructive effects of linguistic oppression, and the difficulties of second language communication for mental health service users, are such that an appropriate health and social care response in Wales involves providing services in a user's preferred language. Service users' views about the current state of bilingual service provision in Wales are presented, which suggests that insufficient attention is being paid to the linguistic needs of Welsh speakers. Eight principles are proposed for mental health service policy and practice in Wales.

Communication Barriers↗

Comparison of trends in method-specific suicide rates in Australia and England & Wales, 1968-97.

OBJECTIVE: To compare secular trends in method-specific suicide rates among young people in Australia and England & Wales between 1968 and 1997. METHODS: Australian data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and for England & Wales from the Office for National Statistics. Overall and method-specific suicide rates for 15-34 year old males and females were calculated using ICD codes E950-9 and E980-9 except E988.8. RESULTS: In both settings, suicide rates have almost doubled in young males over the past 30 years (from 16.8 to 32.9 per 100,000 in Australia and from 10.1 to 19.0 in England & Wales). Overall rates have changed little in young females. In both sexes and in both settings there have been substantial increases in suicide by hanging (5-7 fold increase in Australia and four-fold increase in England & Wales). There have also been smaller increases in gassing in the 1980s and '90s. In females, the impact of these increases on overall rates has been offset by a decline in drug overdose, the most common method in females. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of male suicide have increased substantially in both settings in recent years, and hanging has become an increasingly common method of suicide. The similarity in observed trends in both settings supports the view that such changes may have common causes. Research should focus on understanding why hanging has increased in popularity and what measures may be taken to diminish it.

Adolescent↗