MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit

15 Minutes on Health Inequalities Podcast - Did UK tobacco control policies alter inequalities in youth smoking?

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:44:00 GMT

New podcast episode featuring Dr Michael Green.

15 Minutes on Health Inequalities Podcast - Children’s Health in Care in Scotland (CHiCS) study

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:44:00 GMT

New podcast episode with researchers from the Children’s Health in Care in Scotland (CHiCS) study.

New Scottish study to “REACH” people with heart failure at home

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 13:41:00 GMT

An award winning cardiac rehabilitation programme which helps people living with heart failure improve their quality of life from their own homes is being rolled out in six NHS Scotland Health Boards from this month.

New research project to inform Scotland’s drug deaths response

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 13:49:00 GMT

Researchers from the University of Glasgow are launching a new research project to inform responses to drug-related harms and deaths in Scotland.

Healthcare workers 7 times as likely to have severe COVID-19 as other workers

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 15:50:00 GMT

Healthcare workers were 7 times as likely to have severe COVID-19 infection as those with other types of ‘non-essential’ jobs, finds research published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

15 Minutes on Health Inequalities Podcast - Reducing Health Inequities in the Early Years

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:44:00 GMT

New podcast episode explores WHO's report on reducing inequities in the early years.

Tobacco sales ban near schools cuts licensed shops by 70 per cent

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 12:35:00 GMT

Banning the sale of cigarettes close to schools and playgrounds would reduce the number of shops allowed to sell tobacco products in Scotland by more than 70 per cent.

Young people recruited to harness smartphones to improve mental health and wellbeing

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 10:25:00 GMT

Young people across Europe are being recruited to a trial to put their smartphone usage to good use, via an app designed to prevent anxiety and depression and improve wellbeing.

New report explores the change in use of green space following COVID-19 lockdown and initial easing of lockdown

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 16:05:00 BST

A report published today finds that pre-existing socio-economic inequalities in use of green and open spaces may have been made worse by the COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions.

Cardiac rehabilitation programme wins BMJ award

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 09:17:00 BST

A home-based rehabilitation programme that could help thousands of people with heart failure to achieve a better quality of life has won a prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ) award.

Alcohol use increased during lockdown, but smoking declined

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 07:44:00 BST

Smoking declined, but adverse alcohol use generally increased during the UK’s coronavirus ‘lockdown’, according to new research.

New scheme to support evaluation of local authority interventions

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 15:21:00 BST

New scheme aims to create rapid research evidence to maximise Local Authority influence on health and inequalities.

Professor Shona Hilton joins Scottish Obesity Alliance

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 14:04:00 BST

The Unit's Deputy Director, Professor Shona Hilton, is the new Interim Chair of the Scottish Obesity Alliance.

Professor Vittal Katikireddi awarded £1.3m in prestigious ERC Starting Grant

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 16:32:00 BST

Public health doctor, Professor Vittal Katikireddi has been awarded more than £1.3m in a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant.

Read our July 2020 newsletter

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 14:39:00 BST

Our newsletter contains an update on our COVID-19 related research, as well as our latest news, publications, blogs and events.

Loneliness in young people increased during lockdown, poll finds

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 09:09:00 BST

The number of young people feeling lonely was three times higher during lockdown compared to pre-lockdown levels, a survey suggests.

Air in Scotland’s prisons 90% cleaner, due to smoke-free policy

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:36:00 BST

People who live and work in prisons now protected from second-hand smoke.

Are condom and contraception services meeting young people's needs?

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 12:34:00 BST

Scotland-wide survey seeks to shed light on why young people may be less likely to use some forms of contraception and condoms than five years ago.

Rights of children overlooked during COVID emergency

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 17:27:00 BST

SPHSU researchers involved in Independent Children's Rights Assessment on the response to Covid-19 in Scotland.

Sleep awareness week for schools

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 16:28:00 BST

Researchers at the University of Glasgow are running the first virtual ‘Sleep in Schools’ week.

Black and Asian groups are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection

Tue, 26 May 2020 13:50:00 BST

Black and south Asian ethnic groups in the UK appear to be at higher risk of COVID-19, as well as hospitalisation with the disease.

Research into health benefits of green space receives funding

Tue, 26 May 2020 13:31:00 BST

Impacts of quality green space in cities has received funding from the UKRI-NHMRC.

WHO report reveals UK adolescents experience mental health concerns

Tue, 19 May 2020 10:13:00 BST

The International Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) report compiles data on the health and social wellbeing of adolescents from 45 countries.

Petra Meier appointed as Professor of Public Health

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 10:04:00 BST

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Petra Meier as Professor of Public Health.

Read our April 2020 newsletter

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 12:05:00 BST

Our newsletter contains an update from our Director, as well as our latest news, research and events.

Raise price of cheap cigarettes to lower health risk

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 12:34:00 GMT

Minimum tobacco pricing could significantly improve the health of people living in Scotland’s most economically disadvantaged areas, experts say.

£500,000 NIHR grant for obesity treatment

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 13:59:00 GMT

BE:COME project awarded half a million pounds by the National Institute for Health Research to examine the effectiveness of NHS and local government interventions to treat obesity.

New project to study the health of care experienced children in Scotland

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 11:00:00 GMT

Project will provide the first comprehensive national level evidence on the health of care-experienced children in Scotland.

New short animation highlights the impact of parental imprisonment on children

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 09:11:00 GMT

Jessica Moran’s PhD research evaluates ways of supporting families affected by parental imprisonment.

Mobile screen exposure can lead to poor sleep among young people

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 09:16:00 GMT

Mobile phone use at night time is having a negative impact on young people’s sleep and mental wellbeing according to a newly published report.

New ESRC-funded project explores loneliness and wellbeing among adolescents and young adults

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 09:33:00 GMT

Dr Emily Long has been awarded one of three new secondary data analysis project collaborations with What Works Centre for Wellbeing.

E-cigarettes may be helping disadvantaged smokers to quit

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 13:56:00 GMT

New research also confirms that low numbers of young people are using e-cigarettes, with vaping more common in young people from disadvantaged households who had never smoked before.

Read our January 2020 newsletter

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 11:41:00 GMT

Read about our latest research, events and opportunities.

National adolescent study reveals insights into child mental health in Scotland

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 15:41:00 GMT

The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Scotland, led by SPHSU researchers, provides data on the health and wellbeing of the nation's young people.

A simple dose of antibiotics: sepsis reporting in UK newspapers

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 14:35:00 GMT

New research has found that the media presents deaths from sepsis as easily avoidable by prescribing antibiotics, without acknowledging the health risks associated with their overuse.

Poor sexual health more common in British women than men

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 10:04:00 GMT

Poor sexual health is more common in women and affects them in more diverse ways than men, according to a new SPHSU study.

Creative Insights: Understanding young people’s perspectives on health inequalities

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 14:28:00 GMT

SPHSU project will explore young people’s perspectives on health inequalities and produce creative outputs to inform policymakers.

Active travel to school – does distance and walkability matter?

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 14:52:00 GMT

A new SPHSU study has found that the distance from home and the walkability of the neighbourhood are both associated with whether children walk, scoot or cycle to school.