Opinions on public health are split along class lines
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《英国医生杂志》
British voters would favour tough government measures to promote public health, a representative survey of 1000 people, published this week, has indicated. However, views on the role of the NHS and priorities for government action differ according to social class.
The survey, which was conducted for the Health Development Agency and the King抯 Fund, an independent think tank on health policy, showed that poorer people wanted the NHS to focus on treating illness, while the more affluent saw health promotion as an important part of its role.
Among people in professions and management—classed as socioeconomic groups A and B—57% said the NHS should prioritise health promotion, compared with 36% of people in the lower socioeconomic groups D and E.
People on lower incomes also reported worse health. Almost 60% of respondents from groups D and E said they were in good health, compared with 80% of people in groups A and B.
Paul Streets, chief executive of the Health Development Agency, said: "This is a clear signal that a stronger partnership for health between the government and the public is needed to reduce ill health."
People in lower socioeconomic groups felt they have less control over their health, he said. "Barriers such as the high cost of fresh fruit and vegetables and limited free access to sports facilities are preventing them from leading a healthy lifestyle," he added.
In groups A and B 73% of people thought that access to affordable fruit and vegetables was important. This figure rose to 84% in groups D and E.
Across all social groups in the survey, 79% agreed that local authorities should be required to provide free access to sports facilities for people on low incomes. However, people in the lower socioeconomic groups were more likely to rate this as a top priority (36%) than in the higher income groups (25%).
The idea of a smoking ban was favoured by two thirds (68%) of all respondents in the survey, but only 42% of people agreed that taxes on tobacco should be increased. And only half (51%) thought the government should clamp down on smugglers bringing cheap cigarettes into the country.
The government will consider the results of the survey as part of its consultation on the white paper on public health, which ]is due to be published later this month.(London Colleen Shannon)
The survey, which was conducted for the Health Development Agency and the King抯 Fund, an independent think tank on health policy, showed that poorer people wanted the NHS to focus on treating illness, while the more affluent saw health promotion as an important part of its role.
Among people in professions and management—classed as socioeconomic groups A and B—57% said the NHS should prioritise health promotion, compared with 36% of people in the lower socioeconomic groups D and E.
People on lower incomes also reported worse health. Almost 60% of respondents from groups D and E said they were in good health, compared with 80% of people in groups A and B.
Paul Streets, chief executive of the Health Development Agency, said: "This is a clear signal that a stronger partnership for health between the government and the public is needed to reduce ill health."
People in lower socioeconomic groups felt they have less control over their health, he said. "Barriers such as the high cost of fresh fruit and vegetables and limited free access to sports facilities are preventing them from leading a healthy lifestyle," he added.
In groups A and B 73% of people thought that access to affordable fruit and vegetables was important. This figure rose to 84% in groups D and E.
Across all social groups in the survey, 79% agreed that local authorities should be required to provide free access to sports facilities for people on low incomes. However, people in the lower socioeconomic groups were more likely to rate this as a top priority (36%) than in the higher income groups (25%).
The idea of a smoking ban was favoured by two thirds (68%) of all respondents in the survey, but only 42% of people agreed that taxes on tobacco should be increased. And only half (51%) thought the government should clamp down on smugglers bringing cheap cigarettes into the country.
The government will consider the results of the survey as part of its consultation on the white paper on public health, which ]is due to be published later this month.(London Colleen Shannon)