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Abstract: In 2008 there were 11682 cases of oral cancer in the United Kingdom; this is 16.41/100000 population, and 3.7% of all cancers. Ethnic coding of these data is poor, and so databases were combined to report rates for the incidence of oral cancer in South Asians compared with those among other ethnic groups in West Yorkshire, 2001–2006. A total of 2157 patients with oral cancer were identified in West Yorkshire, 138 of whom were South Asian (6.4%). We analysed them by ethnicity, sex, area in which they lived, and site of cancer. Oral cancer was significantly more common among South Asian women than those from other ethnic groups in England and West Yorkshire, and in England alone it was significantly more common in men of other ethnic groups than those from South Asia. Patients from South Asia were at higher risk of being diagnosed with oral cancer than those of other ethnic groups within West Yorkshire, when data were adjusted for age at diagnosis and sex. In England and in West Yorkshire there was a significantly higher rate of oral cancer among Southern Asian women than among those of other ethnic groups, and men in other ethnic groups had a higher incidence than those from South Asia (England only). The excess of oral cancers gives further weight to the association between smokeless tobacco, smoking, alcohol, and dietary intake by ethnic group. This information is particularly pertinent in areas such as West Yorkshire where there are large groups of Asian people. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Asians are at increased risk of morbidity at a lower body mass index (BMI) than European Whites, particularly relating to metabolic risk. UK maternal obesity guidelines use general population BMI criteria to define obesity, which do not represent the risk of morbidity among Asian populations. This study compares incidence of first trimester obesity using Asian-specific and general population BMI criteria. Method: A retrospective epidemiological study of 502,474 births between 1995 and 2007, from 34 maternity units across England. Data analyses included a comparison of trends over time between ethnic groups using Asian-specific and general population BMI criteria. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios for first trimester obesity among ethnic groups following adjustment for population demographics. Results: Black and South Asian women have a higher incidence of first trimester obesity compared with White women. This is most pronounced for Pakistani women following adjustment for population structure (OR 2.19, 95% C.I. 2.08, 2.31). There is a twofold increase in the proportion of South Asian women classified as obese when using the Asian-specific BMI criteria rather than general population BMI criteria. The incidence of obesity among Black women is increasing at the most rapid rate over time (p=0.01). Conclusion: The twofold increase in maternal obesity among South Asians when using Asian-specific BMI criteria highlights inequalities among pregnant women. A large proportion of South Asian women are potentially being wrongly assigned to low risk care using current UK guidelines to classify obesity and determine care requirements. Further research is required to identify if there is any improvement in pregnancy outcomes if Asian-specific BMI criteria are utilised in the clinical management of maternal obesity to ensure the best quality of care is provided for women irrespective of ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper reports on the construction of a set of indicators for mental health and the publication of a report for England's Chief Medical Officer. The report was the seventh in a series of reports aimed at initiating public health action to improve health at a regional level in England. Study design: Observational study using routine data. Methods: A set of over 80 indicators was constructed by an expert group. These indicators were then populated from routine datasets. Commentary was provided on each indicator in the report. Results: A small team compiled this large set of indicators from routine data working in a public health observatory in one region of England. Conclusions: It is possible to produce a large array of indicators about mental health. The conclusion from examining these indicators is that there are many unexplained differences in mental health across the regions of England. Many of these indicators are closely linked to deprivation. Some indicators show a lack of difference across the country, and in many instances, service provision is inconsistent and does not always relate to need. In some cases, there was a worrying absence of data, e.g. data on ethnicity and the mental health of offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring recent developments in a wide range of high strength alloys and their application in the automotive, structural, energy and aerospace sectors was the aim of the 15th Conference and Exhibition of the Sheffield Metallurgical and Engineering Association (SMEA). Harry Bhadeshia set the scene with a review of the strengthening mechanisms and Sybrand van der Zwaag closed the conference with some thought provoking ideas on self-healing materials. Held on 13 and 14 June 2006 at the University of Sheffield, the meeting attracted 130 delegates. Five sessions with 20 papers covered developments for specific applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the incidence of congenital hip dislocation among babies in Southampton, England. Development of poor prognosis during first year of life; Development of tests aimed at detecting the defect in the neonatal period; Use of rigid Barlow splints in treating patients diagnosed during the neonatal period.

The authors look at some of the ways in which the public health observatories (PHOs) in England have developed to become a major part of the public health infrastructure in the country, as their celebrate their 10th anniversary in 2010. They cite the role of PHOs, including to identify gaps in health information. Also mentioned are the reasons why the English PHOs still exist, one of which is their leadership. They add that these observatories are aimed at improving health and reducing health inequalities.

Presents an editorial concerning whether a regional government would have been beneficial to public health. Rejection of the proposal for an elected regional government in England; Assertion that a public health presence already exists at a regional level; Speculation on the possible health benefits of a regional government; Risks of devolving responsibilities to a regional government; Publication of a white paper regarding the public health in England.

The article presents the results of a study on the measurement of body mass index (BMI) among children and prevalence of obesity at five schools in Teesside, England. There was no significant relationship found between obesity and disability. The prevalence of obesity is higher in children with disabilities. The researchers found that waist circumference measurement failed to reflect the weight distribution patterns identified using BMI.

Organic contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs) and other emerging contaminants (ECs) are known to persist in the aquatic environment and many are indicated as endocrine, epigenetic, or other toxicants. Typically, the study of PPCPs/ECs in the aquatic environment is limited to their occurrence dissolved in river water. In this study, accumulation and spatial distribution of thirteen PPCPs/ECs were assessed in aquatic sediment (n = 23), periphyton (biofilm, n = 8), plants Callitriche sp. (n = 8) and Potamogeton sp. (n = 7) as well as amphipod crustaceans (Gammarus pulex, n = 10) and aquatic snails (Bithynia tentaculata, n = 9). All samples (n = 65) were collected from the Hogsmill, Blackwater and Bourne Rivers in southern England. Targeted PPCPs/ECs included pharmaceuticals, plasticisers, perfluorinated compounds, illicit drugs and metabolites. Extraction from solid matrices occurred using ultrasonic-assisted extraction followed by an in-house validated method for solid-phase extraction and subsequent liquid-chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry. Field-derived bioconcentration-factors and biota-sediment accumulation-factors were determined for all studied biota. Residues of studied contaminants were found in all sediment and biota. Concentrations of contaminants were generally higher in biota than sediment. Evidence suggests that the studied aquatic plants may effectively degrade bisphenol-A into its main transformation product hydroxyacetophenone, potentially mediated by cytochrome p450 and internalisation of contaminants into the cellular vacuole. A positive association between both hydrophobicity and PFC chain length and contaminant accumulation was observed in this work. Only PFCs, plasticisers and HAP were classified as either 'bioaccumulative' or 'very bioaccumulative' using BCF criteria established by guidelines of four governments. Contaminants appeared to be differentially bioaccumulative in biota, indicating there may be a need for a species-specific BCF/BSAF classification system. These data form a detailed accounting of PPCP/EC fate and distribution in the aquatic environment highlighting accumulation at lower trophic levels, a potential source for higher organisms., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Public Health Observatories (PHOs) were created in England in 2000 as an important adjunct to the public health system in the country. The observatories were networked together, which allowed pooling of expertise and rapid dissemination of methods and results. The network grew to include the whole of the UK and Ireland and was a very successful force for change until PHOs were subsumed into the new Government Agency Public Health Organization, Public Health England. This paper describes the lessons learnt from their existence in the public health system in England for fourteen years.

Objective: to identify developments in maternal obesity services and health-care practitioners' views on how maternity services need to be further developed to be more effective in the care of obese pregnant women., Design: follow-up qualitative study using purposive sampling, interviews and focus groups., Setting: 10 maternity units in the North East Government Office Region of England, UK., Participants: 30 maternity unit health-care practitioners with personal experience of maternal obesity services., Measurements and Findings: semi-structured interviews and focus groups were carried out with health-care practitioners representing each National Health Service trust in the region that provides maternity services to identify views on the barriers, facilitators, advantages and disadvantages of developing maternal obesity services, and how maternity services can be more effective in managing maternal obesity. Transcripts were analysed using thematic content analysis. Three dominant themes emerged: questioning maternal obesity service development; psychosocial issues and maternal obesity service development; and the way forward., Key Conclusions: there has been a substantial improvement in the management of the health and safety aspects of maternal obesity over the last three years. However, more work is needed around the psychosocial issues, weight management and public health aspects of maternal obesity., Implications for Practice: to meet the needs of obese pregnant women, maternity services should consider the transition of care between pregnancy and the postnatal period, improve communication between hospital and public health services, and develop services that will engage pregnant women to address their obesity., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The authors examined the uptake of obesity surgery across England., Methods: Data were analyzed from the Hospital Episode Statistics covering all 9 goverment office regions with a total population of 49.1 million. The data analyzed covered 9 years 1996/97 - 2004/05., Results: 1,465 records were identified with a primary diagnostic code for obesity and an operation code for obesity surgery. The surgery was performed mostly in women (male to female ratio of 1:5), who were predominantly mid-aged (average 40.4 years +/- SD 9.00), the majority of whom reside in local authority districts ranked within the lowest two deprivation quintiles. The availability of obesity surgery varied considerably across the 9 different regions of England, although the number of operations increased nationally over time., Conclusions: Access to this intervention is highly variable and does not appear to reflect estimated regional differences in morbid obesity. This specialist service may benefit from more effective national organization, to ensure appropriate capacity and eliminate inequalities in service delivery.