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Deprivation and Health

Summary Points

Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2005

  • Merthyr Tydfil [36%] had the highest percentage of its Super Output Areas in the most deprived 10% in Wales, for overall deprivation.
  • Merthyr Tydfil had the highest percentages of its Super Output Areas in the most deprived 10% in Wales  for employment, health and education skills and training deprivation. 

What are the impacts?
Poor social and economic circumstances affect health and well-being throughout life. Disadvantage has many forms and can include:
  • having few family assets
  • a poorer education
  • a low paid job or insecure employment
  • living in poor housing
  • trying to bring up a family in difficult circumstances.
What is the scale of the problem? 
In 2004 the NPHS published Deprivation and Health to highlight the relationship between small area deprivation and health in Wales, using a large number of health indicators. The report shows that, in nearly all instances, people living in the most deprived areas have worse health and health indicators than those in the most affluent areas. 
 
A series of 22 summary reports has been produced, one for each Local Health Board, showing how the relationship between health and socio-economic deprivation is likely to be operating at the local level.
 
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2005 [WIMD] is the official measure of deprivation for Wales. It was developed for the Welsh Assembly Government by the Assembly's Statistical Directorate and the Local Government Data Unit. The index for 2005 replaces the index produced in 2000. The index is made up of information relating to:
  • income
  • housing
  • employment
  • access to services
  • health
  • education
  • environment

England and Wales have been divided into Super Output Areas, each having roughly the same population. There are three levels: Lower Layer [the smallest], Middle Layer and Upper Layer [the largest]. there are 1,896 Lower Layer Super Output Areas in Wales each having about 1,500 people. Merthyr Tydfil has 36 Lower Layer Super Output Areas.

Deprivation scores have been worked out for each of these areas and higher scores mean more deprivation. Lower Super Output Areas  are then ranked, with 1being the most deprived.

Local Authority Results

There are 190 Lower Layer Super Output Areas [LSOA] in the most deprived 10% in Wales for all deprivation measures.

Merthyr Tydfil [36%] had the highest percentage of its Super Output Areas in the most deprived 10% in Wales, for overall deprivation.

  • 13 of Merthyr Tydfil's Lower Super Output Areas rank in the worst 10% of the index
  • 20 of Merthyr Tydfil's Lower Super output Areas rank in the worst 20% of the index

Income Deprivation Domain - Merthyr Tydfil [39%]  had  one of  the highest percentage of its SOAs in the most deprived ten percent in Wales for employment deprivation, an important part of the income domain.

Health - Merthyr Tydfil (50%) had the highest percentage of its SOAs in the most deprived ten percent in Wales, for health deprivation.

Education, Skills and Training - Merthyr Tydfil (28%) had the highest percentage of its SOAs in the most deprived ten percent in Wales, for education deprivation.
 

Useful Links

Health Challenge Wales

Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation

The Poverty Site