Agenda item

The Director of Public Health submits a report to provide an update on the Health and Wellbeing Survey 2024.

The Principal Public Health Intelligence Analyst presented the report, which showed the results of the most recent Health and Wellbeing Survey. It was noted that:

·       The survey was carried out in 2024. The last one was in 2018. It ran from April to October.

·       The full report of the survey was included in the agenda pack.

·       The data had been used and was intended to be explored further.

·       The survey interviewed those aged 16+. Children specific ones were previously completed.

·       The primary purpose of the survey was to inform strategic and specific needs assessments.

·       The surveys had previously been used across the council and its partners, including the VCS.

·       The survey provided levels of intelligence not everyone had access to.

·       2100 interviews were completed, which reflected about 100 per ward. This was a weighted sample to reflect population data in the census to ensure it was representative.

·       Sensitive questions were self-completed to encourage reliability.

·       The team reflected the diversity found in the city allowing for various languages.

·       A huge range of topics was covered, including new areas such as gambling, covid implications, mental health and wellbeing, food insecurity and some around vaping.

·       The top 5 positives identified by residents were:

o   4 in 5 residents rated their general health as good or very good.

o   There was a decline of 4% in those who smoked cigarettes compared to 2018.

o   3 in 4 residents had used waterways, parks and green spaces at least monthly.

o   Most residents felt they had support they could rely on in difficult times.

o   4 in 5 residents said they tended to bounce back quickly after difficult times.

·       The top 5 challenges identified were:

o   Nearly a quarter of residents had faced difficulties paying their food and energy bills, this was double the figure of 2018.

o   Challenges were faced by residents accessing medical services, particularly NHS dentists or GP appointments.

o   1 in 14 residents with children at home say they smoked in the home.

o   1 in 7 residents had an alcohol consumption that was classified as ‘increasing risk’ or higher.

o   1 in 20 households had reported damp or mould in their home.

·       Within Leicester, there had been an increase in the amount of shisha smoked.

·       Older age bands were more likely to consider themselves to be struggling to access a GP.

·       Half of the population abstained from drinking alcohol.

·       The figures around resilience showed disparities between age and gender in the results. Older groups were less likely to feel resilient, as well as those with multiple conditions.

·       11% of residents had felt socially isolated at least often, this may not appear a large figure but when considered as the number of individuals, the percentage was deceiving.

·       Culture related questions allowed local communities to be understood. Football and Rugby clubs had been in touch to use this type of data.

·       The key issue found around homes was tenure breakdown. When owner occupied, the focus was on the cost of heating and the mortgage. For those in private rentals, it was that rent was too expensive. For those with a social landlord, the issue was the size of the property, mould and damp issues or the need for repairs.

·       The difficulties affording food seen in the data can be broken down by gender, socio economic group and ethnicity.

·       The data can be mapped by ward, for example it was seen that the lowest rates of difficulty paying energy bills were in Knighton and the highest rates were in Beaumont Leys.

·       Data from the Health and Wellbeing Survey was to inform JSNA’s Health and Wellbeing strategies, local health profiles, health equity audits, equality impact assessments, funding applications along with being used in presentations and promotional materials in Public Health campaigns. It also provided insights for partners in academia and the VCS, as well as supporting press and media briefings and academic papers.

In response to comments and questions from members, it was noted that:

·       Community centres were suggested as something to be included in the cultural section.

·       White British were highest for smoking, alcohol consumption, gambling and the highest risk of not paying bills.

·       The White British category had a high proportion of social housing. Social housing tenants were at higher risk of smoking, alcohol consumption, gambling and not paying bills.

·       This sample size was used as it was considered representative. A larger sample size had a higher cost, so it had to be a balance between what is hoped to be achieved and the cost.

·       The further breakdowns there were in a ward, the fewer response meaning data was less representative and statistically robust. There were other ways data could be broken down that maintained it’s reliability.

·       As well as ethnicity, language spoken and religion categories allowed further insight into cultural influences.

·       The numbers of individuals who were not confident using the internet was considered interesting considering the drive for digitalization, particularly within the NHS.

·       Everything was done as far as practically possible to allow respondents to be transparent in their answers. 

·       The survey was now available on the Council’s website.

·       It was hoped that moving forward, members of the public would be able to interact with the data.

Agreed:

1.     The report was noted.