STYLE SURVEY
(2006)
A survey of 9300 residents was conducted during March 2006. 4249 residents returned the questionnaire, (a response rate of 49%). 59% of respondents were women and 41% men. The survey was analysed comparing neigh- bourhood renewal areas (NRF) within the rest of the borough.
Why we carried out a Lifestyle Survey
It enabled us to gather information on the lifestyles of residents. This will inform the prioritisation and the
What is social
marketing?
An official definition of social
marketing is ‘the systematic application of marketing concepts
and techniques to achieve specific
behavioural goals, to improve heath and reduce health inequali- ties’. (French, Blair-Stevens, 2006)
In practice this means learning from commercial marketing and taking a systematic approach to the way we design interventions and programmes. Our aim is for particular groups of people to
make a defined lifestyle change.
The National Social Marketing Centre describes social marketing as a seven stage process (Box 2).
These stages include many of the things that we do already to improve health, though not necessarily in such a structured way.
What will be our Social
Marketing Priorities in
2008/09?
The multi agency Healthy Life- styles Marketing Group are currently prioritising areas for immediate social marketing action.
Priorities will reflect key action
needed to improve health and reduce inequalities, and hence the priorities of the Local Area
Agreement and PCT Business Plan. These include:
• Smoking - focusing
resource on routine and manual groups, young men and pregnant women and women planning pregnancy
development of interventions. The data gathered can be used to support decision-making. In addi- tion, the data will be helpful to the implementation of Choosing Health, practice based commis- sioning and the Local Area Agree- ment. The results of the survey will also be of value in health needs assessments, health equity audits and the development of plans for targeted health promotion activities.
Aims of the Rochdale
Borough Lifestyle Survey
The aims of the Rochdale Borough Lifestyle Survey were to:
• Provide baseline information
about the lifestyles of the adult population in Rochdale Borough.
• Assess the need for Lifestyle
interventions across the borough
• Inform provision of interven-
tions, ensuring equity
• Be an evaluation tool for
Lifestyles interventions, to demonstrate any changes in lifestyles patterns over time
What we found out about the lifestyle of residents.
• 29.1% of residents had
poor self-assessed health, 25.9% (non NRF) rising to 37.7% in NRF areas.
• 23.7% of residents were
smokers, 20.8% non NRF) rising to 31.8% in NRF areas. In Pennine the rate was 43.8%. Overall the highest rates of smoking were in young males.
• 18.3% of residents were
exposed to passive smoking, 15.4% in non NRF rising to 26.3% in NRF areas. More males than females, highest rate in middle age band.
• 17.5% of residents had
‘unsafe’ levels of drinking, falling to 13.5% in NRF areas. (18.9% in non NRF areas). Overall the preva- lence in males is nearly double that of females.
• 17% of residents were
classed as ‘obese’, rising to 20.1% in NRF areas. 51% are overweight or obese. There is no significant difference in terms of NRF areas. • 81.9% of residents reported
eating less than ‘5 fruit and vegetables a day, rising to 87.2% in NRF areas. Residents in the younger age band (18-39 years) were less likely to eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day.
• 17.1% residents had a
“poor diet”, 14.1% in non NRF areas rising to 25% in NRF areas.
• 11.6% of residents evaluated
their access to fresh food shops as “poor”. There was no difference in the NRF/ non NRF areas. However, the Township of Pennine
was significant in that 17.5%
of residents evaluated their access to fresh food shops as “poor”.
• 49.1% of residents led a
sedentary lifestyle. 46.7% in non NRF areas rising to
55.9% in NRF areas. For both sexes increasing age corresponds to a more sedentary lifestyle.
• 27.9% of residents described
their access to leisure facilities as ‘poor’, rising to 29.9% in NRF areas. Pennine Township was
significant (59.3% NRF) (46.9% non NRF) in this regard. • 29.3% of residents had symptoms of psychiatric morbidity, rising to 37.6% in NRF areas. • 12.3% of residents consulted
their GP in the last year for ‘nerves or depression’ compared to 15.8% in NRF areas.
• 19.8% of residents visited
their GP 6 times or more in the last year compared to 25.7% in NRF areas.
• 10.8% of residents had
‘poor social contacts’, 9.6% in non NRF areas rising to 14.1% in NRF areas.
• 10.4% of residents felt they
had no one to talk to about their problems, 8.7% in non NRF rising to 14.9% in NRF areas. For both the above, prevalence highest in middle age group.
• 54.8% of residents had no
involvement in their local community, compared to 64.9% in NRF areas. The highest rate was in the younger age band, but overall the highest rates was in females.
• 16.4% of residents had
some experience of crime, rising to 17.5% in NRF areas. Pennine Township
significant 19.7%.
• 10.9% of residents described
their access to a GP surgery as ‘poor’, compared to 12% in NRF areas.
CONCLUSIONS
• Most lifestyle indicators were more significant for
residents living in NRF (Neighbourhood Renewal Fund) areas.
• The data given was self
reported and because people sometimes under estimate their lifestyle behaviours the data about smoking, alcohol and obesity should be used with caution.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Some of the recommendations put
forward as a result of the findings. • The survey should be
repeated in 2009.
• The Stop Smoking Service
should monitor the preva- lence of smoking in the NRF areas and ensure that the Stop Smoking Service targets residents living within these areas.
• Consideration should be
given to how the Stop Smoking Service can be marketed to men,
particularly in the 18-39 year age group.
• Undertake a survey of the specific needs of
smokers from South–Asian communities residing in Rochdale Borough.
• The results of the survey
to be presented to the Alcohol Strategy Group and used in the review of the Borough wide Alcohol Strategy.
• Consideration should be
given to re-focusing the alcohol prevention work on men and residents in the middle age range whilst continuing to target the younger age group.
• Further develop awareness
raising campaigns, at key times during the year, aimed at non-dependant drinkers to reduce binge drinking.
• Residents should be en-
couraged and supported to manage their weight at
times of significant life events
such as giving up smoking, pre and post pregnancy, and menopause.
• Ensure that residents will
have a range of weight management support options to choose from.
• Re-emphasise the 5 A
DAY message particularly within the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund areas.
• Develop a joint Food
Poverty Strategy/Action Plan
• Design and implement
a social marketing approach focusing on improving the consumption of fruit and vegetables and improving the “poor” diet of men living in Neighbourhood Renewal Fund areas.
• Women should be targeted
before pregnancy and during pregnancy in order to raise awareness of the importance of good nutrition, weight and the impact of smoking.
• Priority should be given to
marketing the exercise opportunities available within the Township of Pennine.
• The ease at which
informal physical activity (such as walking, taking the stairs), can be incorporated into our daily lives should be marketed to residents living in NRF areas.
• Healthy Lifestyle Strategy
Leads need to ensure that mental wellbeing is
embedded within the action plans.
• To ensure that residents
in the NRF areas as well as women in the 18-39 year age group are targeted in terms of mental health promotion.
• Explore the reasons why
men use general practitioner services less than women.
• Investigate the barriers to
social support for people in the Borough particularly those living within NRF areas.
• Ensure these issues are
included in the councils approach to health and in its health strategy.
These recommendations will be incorporated into action plans of the Healthy Lifestyle Strategy.