Every day, children are exposed to levels of pollution, both during their journeys to and from school but also in playgrounds and classrooms. Results from a new literature review carried out by The University of Manchester suggests traffic-related air pollution, specifically particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), are detrimental to cognitive functioning in children […]
Recognising the role of key workers now and in the future employment landscape
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has become more aware and appreciative of the workers now called ‘key workers’. However, organisational change and deregulation over recent years has led to high levels of job degradation in key work sectors. In this blog, Gail Hebson and Miguel Martínez Lucio introduce and present research from a range […]
Black mental health matters: Time to eradicate long-standing ethnic inequalities in mental healthcare
In 2018, ethnic inequalities in mental health treatment led the Royal College of Psychiatrists to endorse the position that mental healthcare in the UK is institutionally racist. In this blog, Jamal Alston, Dr Henna Lemetyinen, and Professor Dawn Edge explain how these inequalities present themselves, and use their research to outline new policies for mental […]
Addressing the health impacts of night shift work
Night shift work has been a common feature of industrial economies for decades, and it has long been known that working through the night can negatively impact upon health. In recent years, the evidence base about these health impacts has expanded considerably. Here, Professor David Ray introduces this evidence and highlights how employers and policymakers […]
The scourge of summer: seasonal allergies, asthma and how your mobile phone could help
Asthma and allergies affect millions in the UK and abroad. Understanding what drives allergic reactions, both inside the body and in the wider environment, will strengthen the ability of public health policymakers to address and limit the impact of these conditions. Here, Professor Sheena Cruickshank introduces ‘Britain Breathing’, a mobile phone app that can help […]
Health for wealth: The link between health inequalities and productivity in northern England
Productivity in the UK, and particularly in the northern regions of England, has remained stubbornly low for decades, prompting economists to discuss a ‘productivity puzzle’. Here, Dr Luke Munford, explains how his research into health inequalities in northern England shows that investing in the health of the population could translate directly into substantial gains in […]
Locked down by inequality: Why place matters for older people during COVID-19
Older people have borne the brunt of deaths from COVID-19, whether in hospital or in care homes. At the same time, the coronavirus emergency sits alongside a crisis in many of the communities in which older people live. In this blog, Chris Phillipson, Camilla Lewis, Tine Buffel, Patty Doran and Sophie Yarker examine how the […]
Critical social infrastructure for older people
Sophie Yarker is a Research Fellow at the Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing (MICRA), working on the Greater Manchester-based Ambition for Ageing programme. In this blog, she discusses her research into the importance of social infrastructure for older people and the need to think about it in new ways. Face-to-face interactions are the […]