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Child health disparity in England and other stories . . .

BMJ 2013; 347 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f4344 (Published 10 July 2013) Cite this as: BMJ 2013;347:f4344

Health disparities increased between children in the most and least deprived categories in England from 1999 to 2009, when the economy was mostly booming and the government of the day was determined to lead Europe in reducing inequalities. A survey in the Archives of Disease in Childhood (2013, doi:10.1136/archdischild-2012-303403) shows that despite public campaigns such as Sure Start and increased spending on health and education during that time, the most deprived group of children and young people have become increasingly likely to report long term ill health, obesity, and early adoption of smoking. “We believe these findings are particularly relevant at a time when a substantial increase in child poverty is expected, and we propose that concerted action is likely to be needed to fulfil the statutory duty to reduce health inequalities in the future,” conclude the authors.

Spain has been particularly hard hit by the downturn in the global economy that began in 2007, and in many areas the prospect of finding a job must seem remote. The recession …

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