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Socioeconomic differences in self-reported chronic and acute illness were investigated in men and women using data from the General Household Surveys (1981-4). Logit models were used to investigate the influence of age, socioeconomic group, tenure, access to cars, area of residence and marital status on these measures of morbidity. For both measures local authority tenants, whether male or female, reported the most morbidity as did those with no access to cars. Both males and females reported increasing levels of illness the lower their socioeconomic group but similar patterns were not observed with acute illness. The significance of these present day inequalities is discussed.

A postal survey was conducted to learn more about people's knowledge of bowel diseases, particularly bowel cancer, and their views on screening with the haemoccult test. A response rate of 59% was achieved. The survey found that the majority were not well informed about the symptoms, causes and treatment of bowel cancer, nor of the fact that it is the second commonest cause of death from cancer. Not surprisingly, only a minority had heard of the haemoccult test. The results suggested that compliance is likely to be highest with symptomatic patients, but a personal approach from the doctor to asymptomatic people would also lead to good compliance rates.

An evaluation of a health education programme promoting the use of seat belts as an injury protection measure in vehicle collision accidents, was carried out using a postal questionnaire to a random sample of people drawn from the electoral rolls of a local authority. The questionnaire asked respondents to provide information about their habits and opinions on a number of aspects including seat belt wearing habits: cigarette consumption, age, sex, driver or non-driver of a motor vehicle, opinion on legislation to enforce seat belt wearing, and opinion on a reduction in car insurance premium for seat belt wearers. Allowing for age and sex amongst drivers, self-reported seat belt wearing declined as cigarette consumption rose ( P P P P

The association between cigarette smoking and certain diseases found in the population of England and Wales has been documented, but the possible association between smoking and road traffic accidents has not previously received much serious attention. In a recent case control study during the period February-September 1980 an association was found between the smoking habits of drivers of vehicles involved in injury-producing road traffic accidents and the hours of darkness, indicating an increased risk of an injury accident during the hours of darkness for drivers who smoke compared to drivers who did not smoke but were also involved in an injury accident. The study also showed a statistically significant association between people who smoked cigarettes and their use of seat belts, with smokers less likely to wear seat belts than non-smokers.

A study was carried out to examine the possible relationship between the time ofoccurrence of accidents and the presence of symptoms of the Premenstrual Syndrome during the menstrual cycle of women with regular cycles attending the accident and emergency department of Southampton General Hospital. For the women as a whole there appeared to be no relationship between the distribution of accidents and the phase of the menstrual cycle in which they occurred. However, the women with symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome appeared to have their accidents more frequently about the time of, and during, their period, in contrast to those experiencing no such symptoms, who appeared more at risk in the middle of the cycle.