Financial crisis and people's health

How does the economic crisis affect people's health and what are the consequences of the society after the next fall of global indices? According to a new study conducted by British scientists from the University of London, as a result of the great recession in 2008, there have been minor changes in medical indicators. The British have increased the likelihood of obesity, diabetes, and also have more problems of a mental nature. A report on this was published in the journal "Social Science & Medicine" (Social Science & Medicine).

To be more precise, as a result of the research it was found that excessive weight and its extreme form - obesity - showed an increase of 4.1 and 2.4 percentage points, respectively. The chance of developing diabetes increased by 1.5%, the prevalence of mental health problems increased by four percent. These are the consequences of the 2008 financial crisis. Ten years passed and the negative effect of changes in macroeconomic indicators became visible and tangible.

There was also a decrease in consumption of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, which scientists welcomed, but at the same time the quantity of fruit purchased decreased. In the analysis of statistical data, it was noted that the changes were more affected by those who are less educated, and more women than men. The authors of the report believe that the uncertainty of the future and the negative expectations caused by the recession, rather than unemployment, can explain the changes observed in society.

Conclusions of scientists are relevant for those who develop public policy in the field of health and medical insurance. Universal insurance, free provision of medical services could improve the situation. The profile national service of Great Britain has one million seven hundred thousand employees and it should react to changing conditions.

The authors note that the deteriorating health of citizens during the crisis increases the demand for medical services, and this can lead to queues in hospitals, an increase in waiting time, and this will add to the already negative consequences. One of the prescriptions for overcoming the negative effect of the recession will be an increase in social benefits for the least protected categories of citizens.

On the contrary, reducing the level of smoking and drinking alcohol positively affects the health of the English. It is estimated that the problems due to improper lifestyles and bad habits cost the population 11 billion pounds sterling annually. However, in order to reduce the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, and after the crisis has passed, it is necessary to motivate people in addition to this, including by providing an adequate level of support from health professionals.

Being the second largest economy in the EU and one of the largest financial centers in the world, the UK has become one of the countries most affected by the so-called Great Recession of 2008. In 2009, the decline in the British economy was 4.3%, and the government had to help the banking sector, national banks were nationalized, which ultimately led to an increase in public debt and a budget deficit.

In order to investigate the impact of the economic crisis on health, the team analyzed data from medical surveys conducted by the British, conducted annually on a representative sample of about 9,000 families. This large-scale program is called "Health Survey for England" - HSE (review of the state of health in England). From the results were selected information about people over 16 years old for 2001. In addition to medical indicators, the HSE collects data on the socio-economic status of respondents, about lifestyle and bad habits.

The results of the research showed that the beginning of the recession was accompanied by a deterioration in the quality of food of the British, which often led to an increase in body mass index, obesity and diabetes. Simultaneously, people reduced the risk of their behavior - they reduced the consumption of tobacco and alcohol. In addition, the consumption of medicines increased and mental health problems became more frequent, according to statistics, this was more acute in people less educated and in women.

One of the authors of the work, Professor Mireia Jofre-Bonet (Mireia Jofre-Bonet), working at the Department of Urban Economics of the University of London, said that their study confirms the close relationship between the health of the population and the economic environment. Although this was intuitively clear, it was necessary to reveal such patterns in order to prevent negative consequences.

In the UK, pressure is exerted on the national health service, which spends most of the budget, health-related services are becoming more expensive, and many experts are predicting the likelihood of another recession in the near future. Therefore, the conclusions of researchers can have a number of important political consequences: the state should develop measures to respond to the deterioration of economic indicators in order to protect the health of citizens least protected before the impact of the financial crisis.

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