The new updated Child Health Promotion Programme : Pregnancy and the first five years of life (CHPP) builds on the children’s National Service Framework and is intended to provide preventative services tailored to the individual needs of children and families, acting as a best practice guide for children’s services.

It aims to:

• provide greater emphasis on promoting the health and well-being of children in the early stages – pregnancy and the first five years of life
• support a model of progressive universalism – a core programme for all children, with additional services for children and families with particular needs and risks
• encourage partnership working between different agencies on local service development (e.g. general practice and children’s centres)
• focus services on changing public health priorities - obesity, breast feeding, social and emotional development

The CHPP is a valuable tool for supporting commissioners to meet obligations on breast-feeding, obesity prevention, infant mortality and the 12-week antenatal assessment. This high quality programme will help meet these vital requirements, but also help to improve general health and well-being among children and families in the community.

Top tips for health in Local Authorities commissioned by ChaMPs (Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Network) and from the Liverpool Public Health Observatory offers practical tips on joint working between the NHS and Local Authorities in the areas of:

• Reducing health inequalities

• Tackling obesity: Creating opportunities for healthy eating

• Tackling obesity: Creating opportunities for physical activity

• Improving mental health and well-being

• Promoting sexual health

• Encourage the sensible drinking of alcohol

• Creating a smokefree environment

Established in 2005, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) weighs and measures children in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) and year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) to assess overweight and obese levels. In 2006/2007, 876,416 primary school children were measured (80 per cent of those eligible). Almost one in four five-year olds and one in three 11-year olds is overweight or obese, according to the national child measurement programme. Rates of obesity are worst in the North East, West Midlands and London, the NHS Information Centre’s NCMP NCMP 2006/07 bulletin report said.

• NCMP 2006/07 online database
• NCMP 2006/07 data tables

How to set and monitor goals for prevalence of child obesity follows on from the Government’s obesity strategy  Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: a Cross-Government Strategy for England.  It provides advice to PCTs and local authorities on how to set child obesity goals as part of the Vital Signs and the National Indicator Set.

A Northwest Framework - to achieve healthy weight for children and families within the context of food & nutrition and physical activity aims to to define and progress the contribution regional organisations can make to achieve the Public Service Agreement (PSA) to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

This report intends to bring coherence to the regional role in achieving children’s healthy weight, within the context ofthe family and wider society. It brings together the many stakeholders, it provides governance arrangements, systems and processes to provide effective planning and delivery as well as creating opportunities for innovative developments.

Also mapped are the inter-relationship between different themes and organisations contributing to obesity and the contribution of food & nutrition and physical activity These Alliances describe how organisations can be grouped to work on particular themes, contributing and strengthening regional delivery.

A study of attitudes and behaviour to inform the development and promotion of outdoor activities from the Scout Association is a study of young people and parents that highlights how eight million young people between the ages of 7-18 (89%) spend far less time engaged in physical activity per week than is recommended by the Department of Health.

As a result a campaign will be focussed at www.kidsoutdoors.com where the emphasis will be on user-generated content such as blogs, video and images of activities, that demonstrate just how fun and easy outdoor activity can be in a safe and secure environment.

The new issue of Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health is now available online. If you want to access the full text of the journal you’ll need your Athens password from the NHS (at the moment you’ll need one from Cheshire and Merseyside but from April this resource will be available nationally. If you don’t have an Athens password and are eligible you can get one here). Full contents of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2008 62(2) February

In this issue
Carlos Alvarez-Dardet and John R Ashton, Joint Edit
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 89. [Extract] [Full text] [PDF]

“If you always do…”
JRA
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 90. [Extract] [Full text] [PDF]

The subtle trade-off between personal freedom and social responsibility
Francesco Zambon
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 90. doi:10.1136/jech.2007.065847 [Extract] [Full text] [PDF]

Area deprivation and mortality in the provincial capital cities of Andalusia and Catalonia (Spain)
R Ocaña-Riola, C Saurina, A Fernández-Ajuria, A Lertxundi, C Sánchez-Cantalejo, M Saez, M Ruiz-Ramos, M A Barceló, J C March, J M Martínez, A Daponte, and J Benach
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 147-152. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.053280 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Adult education and child nutrition: the role of family and community
H Moestue and S Huttly
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 153-159. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.058578 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Is leg length a biomarker of childhood conditions in older Chinese women? The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study
C M Schooling, C Q Jiang, M Heys, W S Zhang, X Q Lao, P Adab, B J Cowling, G N Thomas, K K Cheng, T H Lam, and G M Leung
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 160-166. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.058917 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Fetal and childhood growth and the risk of violent and non-violent suicide attempts: a cohort study of 318 953 men
E Mittendorfer-Rutz, D Wasserman, and F Rasmussen
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 168-173. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.057133 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

The epidemiology of fractures in England
L J Donaldson, I P Reckless, S Scholes, J S Mindell, and N J Shelton
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 174-180. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.056622 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Explaining the social gradient in long-term sickness absence: a prospective study of Danish employees
Karl Bang Christensen, Merete Labriola, Thomas Lund, and Mika Kivimäki
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 181-183. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.056135 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Living and health conditions of Palestinian refugees in an unofficial camp in the Lebanon: a cross-sectional survey
J E Zabaneh, G C M Watt, and C A O’Donnell
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 91-97. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.054338 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Reducing ambient levels of fine particulates could substantially improve health: a mortality impact assessment for 26 European cities
Ferran Ballester, Sylvia Medina, Elena Boldo, Pat Goodman, Manfred Neuberger, Carmen Iñiguez, Nino Künzli, and on behalf of the Apheis network
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 98-105. doi:10.1136/jech.2007.059857 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Perceived health change in the aftermath of a petrochemical accident: an examination of pre-accident, within-accident, and post-accident variables
M K Peek, M P Cutchin, D H Freeman, N A Perez, and J S Goodwin
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 106-112. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.049858 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

The association between school attendance, HIV infection and sexual behaviour among young people in rural South Africa
J R Hargreaves, L A Morison, J C Kim, C P Bonell, J D H Porter, C Watts, J Busza, G Phetla, and P M Pronyk
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 113-119. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.053827 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Iron but not folic acid supplementation reduces the risk of low birthweight in pregnant women without anaemia: a case–control study
S Palma, R Perez-Iglesias, D Prieto, R Pardo, J Llorca, and M Delgado-Rodriguez
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 120-124. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.052985 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in East and West German children in the decade after reunification: population-based series of cross-sectional studies
C J Apfelbacher, J Cairns, T Bruckner, M Möhrenschlager, H Behrendt, J Ring, and U Krämer
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 125-130. doi:10.1136/jech.2007.062117 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Preventing disability through understanding international megatrends in Deaf bilingual education
I M Munoz-Baell, C Alvarez-Dardet, M T Ruiz, R Ortiz, M L Esteban, and E Ferreiro
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 131-137. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.059378 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Medical illness, medication use and suicide in seniors: a population-based case–control study
D C Voaklander, B H Rowe, D M Dryden, J Pahal, P Saar, and K D Kelly
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 138-146. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.055533 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Coronary heart disease epidemiology: from aetiology to public health, 2nd ednChildhood cancer in Britain
Alberto Izzotti
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 184. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.045831 [Extract] [Full text] [PDF]

Childhood cancer in Britain
Kathrine Carlsen
J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 184. doi:10.1136/jech.2007.064709 [Extract] [Full text] [PDF]

If you need any training in using this or any other electronic resource and you work for Liverpool PCT use the contact form below to contact the library.

To use this journal you’ll need your NHS Athens password from Liverpool PCT (You can register here to get one if you work for the PCT.  If you need any training for this or any other electronic resources and you work for the PCT use the contact form at the bottom of this post to request it.

The influence of patient and doctor gender on diagnosing coronary heart disease
Ann Adams, Christopher D. Buckingham, Antje Lindenmeyer, John B. McKinlay, Carol Link, Lisa Marceau and Sara Arber

• Abstract

Jumping off and being careful: children’s strategies of risk management in everyday life

Pia Christensen and Miguel Romero Mikkelsen

pages 112–130

• Abstract

From the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health today is the report Saving Mothers’ Lives Reviewing maternal deaths to make motherhood safer 2003-2005. It finds that obesity is the fastest growing cause of women dying in pregnancy or childbirth in the UK. More than half the 294 women who died during or after pregnancy between 2003 and 2005 were overweight or obese. Experts say the number of deaths - from a total of two million pregnancies - is low - but the trend is very worrying.

They have also published:

Diabetes in Pregnancy: Caring for the baby after birth which sets out the results of a special audit set up to examine in greater depth a number of neonatal care issues including neonatal morbidity, establishment of breast feeding, separation of mothers and babies, and NHS resources. The CEMACH report contains recommendations for policy and practice and should be considered by health service commissioners and managers, and clinical staff of all disciplines, not simply those directly involved in neonatal care.

Research into parental attitudes towards the routine measurement of children’s height and weight was commissioned by the Dpeartment of Health investigate parental attitudes to the National Child Measurement Programme.

The main aims of the research were to:

• explore the perspectives of parents and children towards weighing and measuring in relation to the 2005-06 National Child Measurement Programme; and
• consider the impact of providing feedback to parents on height and weight data regarding their children, as well as considering body-mass index (BMI) and other generic information.

The main conclusions include:

• parents generally valued feedback of the height and weight data as well as information on whether the child is a healthy weight or not.
• The report found that attitudes towards the exercise were generally positive. However, advance information, the choice to opt-out and the provision of feedback were deemed important elements of a measurement programme.
• Parents generally felt that provision of the height and weight with an information leaflet about healthy lifestyles would be informative and helpful and such information could be put into practice by parents.

‘Public Health: Ethical Issues’ from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (Executive summary, One page summary, Short Guide) considers the responsibilities of government, industry, individuals and others in promoting the health of everyone. It concludes that the state has a particular duty to help people lead a healthy life and to reduce inequalities. The Council propose a ‘stewardship model’, to achieve this.  Consideration of the acceptability of different public health measures, and the responsibilities of industries that promote products that affect our health are undertaken by the report. Recommendations for policy are made in four areas:

• Infectious disease

• Obesity

• Alcohol and tobacco

• Fluoridation of water

The media have picked up on the report here.

A third of cancers are caused by diet and lack of exercise and could be prevented, according to Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, which urges people to stay slim and abstain from too much fast food, red meat and preserved meat such as ham and bacon, and alcohol. The report from the World Cancer Research Fund, is the most authoritative overview of the role that food, drink, obesity and exercise play in causing cancer. Lifestyle could play almost as big a role as stopping smoking in preserving us from disease and that being fat is a big risk for cancer.

The mass media have been busy reporting on the report, 1st November, 2nd November, 4th November.

The Health profile of England 2007 provides a collation of national and regional data to provide a baseline against which people can compare data from their own Local Health Profile (LHP). The 2007 report updates tables showing regional comparisons and national trends for indicators presented in LHP, as well as a wide ranging snapshot of public health and well-being in England and a section on international comparisons.

• A general improvement in health outcome
  The report shows recent improvements in a number of critical areas, e.g.:
  • declining mortality rates in targeted killers (cancers, all circulatory diseases and suicides)
  • increasing life expectancy, now at its highest ever level
  • reducing infant mortality, now at its lowest ever level

Challenges remain to achieve and sustain progress, e.g.:
• rising rates of diabetes

• Similarly for the determinants of health,
  • Improvements in some important areas, e.g.:
  • the number of people who smoke
  • quality of housing stock
  • Areas of concern, e.g.:
  • increasing levels of obesity in adults and children
  • high levels of teenage pregnancy
• Health inequalities are often present
  • The report illustrates various geographical inequalities across the UK
• International comparisons give a wider context presenting national progress in comparison to countries of the European Union (EU), or to the 15 countries that were members of the EU prior to 2004 (EU-15), e.g.:
  • Premature mortality rates from the two biggest killers, circulatory diseases and cancer, are reducing faster in England than the average for the EU
  • Death rates from motor vehicle traffic accidents in the United Kingdom are amongst the lowest in EU
  • The prevalence of obesity in England is the highest in the EU
  • Death rates for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis have risen markedly, particularly since the mid-1990s, and for females, latest data show England has risen above the EU-15 average
  • The percentage of all live births to mothers under age 20 in the United Kingdom remains the highest when compared to other EU-15 countries.

You can see the mass media’s take on this report on 23rd October 2007.

The UK Government’s Foresight programme, alongside the Horizon Scanning Centre, uses science based methods to provide visions of the future. Their research methods are useful in helping to identify potential risks and opportunities in relation to science and technology, to enable policymakers to develop strategies to manage our future better.

‘Tackling Obesities: Future Choices’ concludes that individuals can no longer be held responsible for obesity so government must act to stop Britain ’sleepwalking’ into a crisis. The project aims ‘To produce a long-term vision of how we can deliver a sustainable response to obesity in the UK over the next 40 years.’ A number of pdf’s can be downloaded.

Scoping the Foresight Project on Obesity

Trends and Drivers of Obesity: A Literature Review for the Foresight Project on Obesity

Challenges for research and research management

Final Report