Health inequalities
Health inequalities are unfair and avoidable social differences that affect people’s health. Inequalities are sadly increasing and can arise due to social class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age, and disability.
Health inequalities research is a key focus of our work. We produce high-quality evidence to support a step change in action on the social inequalities driving health inequalities.
What are the headlines?
- Widening inequalities can cost billions, increases poverty and cost children’s lives
- Pregnant women living on low-income face barriers when accessing maternity care
- People from minority ethnic backgrounds often experience worse health outcomes
- Poor childhood social and cognitive skills linked to teens’ poor exam results
- Physical activity insecurity can stop youngsters from getting active
- Young people with learning disabilities face unique challenges, which can lead to unmet needs and early deaths
How is our research making a difference?
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Local authority leisure facilities costs – Provided recommendations on how to reduce cost as a barrier to accessing physical activity.
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First dental steps intervention – Investigated how to improve and better target dental health from an early age.
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Inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic – Identified the causes of these inequalities and suggested ways we could try to reduce the impact of them.
What research are we currently doing?
Co-creating spaces of belonging and safety with marginalised communities in contact with support services using an intersectional lens
Background People living in poorer places tend to have a lower life expectancy than people living in richer places – we call this health inequality. There are many factors that contribute to this difference in life expectancy, including the living and working conditions in different places – we call these…
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What research are we currently doing?
An analysis of how local public health systems interact with complex policy initiatives addressing social and health inequalities
Background Local councils around the country have a duty to improve the health of their communities, and give everyone a fair chance of health. The government has also tried to make life chances fairer across the country. Many of the services and actions that national bodies, local councils, the NHS,…
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What research are we currently doing?
Investigating the health inequalities impact of national policies aiming to promote local economic growth in disadvantaged places
Background The UK government aims to reduce economic, social and health inequalities between places with a set of policies and initiatives collectively known as “Levelling Up”. These policies aim at promoting local economic growth by supporting economic recovery and regeneration in places of need. The Government supports projects put forth…
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What research are we currently doing?
Show me how and where you belong: Belonging and difference for people with learning disabilities
Background People with learning disabilities have poorer health than their non-disabled peers, they are also at a much higher risk of social exclusion. Social exclusion is bad for our health, and social inclusion and having a sense of belonging has a positive impact on it. We know that it can…
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What research are we currently doing?
CLARITY+ Collective reimagining of community-led public health evaluation from the perspective of racially minoritised communities
Background People from ethnic minority backgrounds often experience worse health outcomes than the white British population. There are many community organisations across the UK supporting people from ethnic minority backgrounds. However, their work is not properly valued and is poorly understood. From January to December 2023, we built partnerships between…
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What research are we currently doing?
Evaluating the impact of national and local action aimed at levelling up and pandemic recovery
Background ‘Levelling up’ is a government plan to improve living and working conditions and health for people in poorer places and from different backgrounds across England. There are big differences in health between people living in more and less well-off areas in England, and between people from different…
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What research are we currently doing?
Supporting engagement with and access to maternity services
Aim This project aims to explore the barriers experienced by women on low incomes to accessing maternity services and use this to identify solutions to increase access to these services. Background Women living on low incomes in England are at increased risk of experiencing poor health during pregnancy. Our…
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What research are we currently doing?
Intelligence for public health action to improve outcomes and address inequalities in children and young people’s health
Background The grand challenge of the Children, young people and families (CYPF) programme is to develop a stronger evidence base for effective investment and intervention to reduce inequalities and improve the health of children, young people and families. Aim The overall aim of this project is…
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What research are we currently doing?
Healthy food shouldn’t cost the earth: co-produced community centred healthy and sustainable food
Background Food insecurity is a big problem for people and public health. In the UK, more and more people are struggling to get enough food. In June 2024, it was estimated that 13.6% UK households were living with food insecurity. However, we waste a lot of food each year (about…
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What have we already provided evidence on?
A young people’s toolkit on Health Inequalities – Co-developed with the Association for Young People’s Health, the toolkit suggests ways young people can get involved to create positive changes in their communities.
CLARITY project – Built partnerships with communities and organisations to address health inequalities.
Levelling up and pandemic recovery – Evaluated the impact of national and local action aimed at levelling up and pandemic recovery.
The role of socioeconomic position in adolescent physical activity – Investigated inequalities in adolescent physical activity behaviour and interventions.
Access to health and social support services for women with multiple and complex needs – Shed light on how structural, and personal risk factors and triggers can have a cumulative impact in women’s lives.
Inequalities in the post-Covid landscape – Examined how processes of marginalisation shape experiences of digital healthcare in the UK.
Inequalities in children looked after in England – Investigated the drivers of, and responses to the rise in children taken into care, with a view to informing policy.
Child health system evaluation project – Improved understanding of what integrated care means for children and young people.
Reducing inequalities in the social determinants of health – Worked with young people to identify their key priorities in addressing the impact of social determinants on their current and future health.
Equity in public health research – Strengthened research equity within SPHR and beyond.
Local government budget changes, population health and inequalities – Investigated the trends in local government budgets to determine how the changing pattern of resources will influence health inequalities.
Nutrition welfare policies for low-income children – Evaluated the impact of the Healthy Start voucher scheme and Universal Infant Free School Meals.
Determinants of multimorbidity – Researched if linked health and council data advance our understanding of the determinants of multimorbidity and inform service provision.
Implementation of health-justice partnerships – Investigated how legal assistance can be delivered in healthcare settings.
Universal Credit – Explored the impact of Universal Credit on health and wellbeing.
Economic shocks – Investigated the impact of economic shocks on health and health inequalities.
Welfare hubs – Evaluated welfare advice hubs pilot scheme in primary care settings.
Improving population health and address health inequalities – Supported public health commissioners in priority setting.
Universal benefits – Evaluated the impact of removing universal benefits.
Where can I find out more?
About the Health inequalities programme
Health inequalities are unfair and avoidable social differences in people’s health. These inequalities are caused by interacting systems of discrimination, powerlessness, and disadvantage that intersect across social class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age, and disability. The last decade has seen these health inequalities become larger and they were further exacerbated by…
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Charities to tackle root causes of discrimination that harm health
People’s Health Trust has today launched a major new programme which aims to help local people experiencing discrimination – including racism, homophobia and transphobia, ableism, misogyny, and ageism – to take action and secure positive change that will benefit their health. The programme will be evaluated by the NIHR School…
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Where can I find out more?
Pioneering approach to support young people five times more likely to be out of work
Article adapted from People’s Health Trust press release As number of young people not in work set to rise above one million, programme launched in three cities to break cycle of poor mental health and unemployment. A pioneering approach aiming to break the cycle…
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Integrating attention to ethnicity and migration within applied public health and health inequalities research
The diversity of the English population continues to grow in terms of both the range of ethnic identities and the proportion of the population identifying as non-White British, which was around 20% in the 2011 census. Net migration reached its highest recorded levels in the UK in 2015, and around…
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Qualitative case study and evaluability assessment of Local Authority Cities of Sanctuary – pathways to health and how we can assess them
Background In 2023, 1.2 million people immigrated into the UK, around 11% of new arrivals were asylum seekers, refugees and Ukrainian scheme applicants. Forcibly displaced people often experience trauma and loss before, during and following their migration journey. Many are particularly vulnerable to illness, exploitation and crime. There is relatively…
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Where can I find out more?
Equal England: Health Inequalities Knowledge Exchange Network
The aim of the Equal England network is to expand the successful Equal North network of over 550 members to build a national community of academics, researchers, practitioners, and members of the public across England who share a common interest in addressing health and social inequalities. In February 2014, Public…
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