People living in “deprived” areas are four times more likely to report not having good health than those in less disadvantaged communities, according to new research.
Pobal, a State-sponsored organisation with the aim of achieving social inclusion and development, on Wednesday published a report examining the relationship between health inequalities and geographic disadvantage.
The organisation cross-referenced data from Census 2022 against its HP Deprivation Index and found a “striking relationship” between the levels of deprivation in an area and the rates of poor health and disability reported.
People living in the most disadvantaged areas were 4½ times more likely to report not having good health than those in the most affluent areas. Furthermore, people living in the most disadvantaged areas were twice as likely to report having a disability compared to those in affluent areas.
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Children growing up in extremely disadvantaged areas reported disability at a rate (about 7 per cent) comparable to those observed among people nearing retirement age in affluent areas.
Alana Ryan, Pobal’s research and policy manager, who co-authored the report, said the findings “demonstrate a direct link between how deprived an area is and the health of its population”.
“Approximately 5 per cent of people living in very affluent areas report not having good health, with this figure rising to over 20 per cent for those living in very or extremely disadvantaged areas,” she said.
“A similar relationship is seen in rates of disability. On average, almost one in every three people (30 per cent) living in a very, or extremely, deprived area experience a condition or disability. In the most affluent areas, this rate drops to less than half of that number, just 14 per cent.”
[ Nearly 230,000 children lack basic food and clothing, data showOpens in new window ]
The report also found that deprived urban areas have a slightly higher rate of disability than deprived rural areas.
“The relationship between disability and deprivation remains for both rural and urban areas. However, rural areas have a slightly lower disability rates than in urban areas,” Ms Ryan added.
She said the findings provide “tangible evidence for enhanced health and social care services in deprived areas ranging from early intervention initiatives to targeted disability supports, which are responsive to local needs”.
Pobal chief executive Anna Shakespeare said close to 200,000 people are living in areas of extreme deprivation.
“These areas are characterised by concentrated unemployment, low educational attainment, higher rates of low-skilled work and greater numbers of single-parent families,” she said.
Ms Shakespeare said the research sheds light on the “magnitude of the relationship between health, disability and geographic deprivation” and helps to understand how to “tailor and target policy interventions to support those [marginalised] groups, ensuring their rights are respected and upheld”.
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