The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #50221

John Harvey, FFPHM (UK), Public Health Services, States of Jersey Health & Social Services, Le Bas Centre, St Saviour's Road, St Helier, Jersey, JE1 4HR, Channel Islands, 44 1534 623708, j.harvey@gov.je

The island of Jersey has a population of 87,000. It is politically independent of the UK, and the economy of Jersey depends on a vibrant off-shore finance industry. But there are marked inequalities. A survey was carried out in 1999 to assess health status and other aspects of health. Two aims were to provide data to influence policies across government departments, and put health on people’s agenda. The survey used harmonized questions wherever possible, and included the EuroQol 5D – a measure of quality of life (1), and the GHQ12 - a measure of psychological state. 2019 questionnaires were returned (60% response rate). The results presented will focus on three aspects. 1. The performance of the EuroQol instrument. 40% of respondents reported one or more problems (moderate or extreme) on at least one of the EuroQol dimensions. The main findings are the differences in the VAS scores across sub-groups of the population. 2. Characteristics of people in low-income households. A proportion of people on Jersey have difficulty in paying for even the necessities of life. For example, 10% of respondents said they had gone without food at some point during the year and 13% had gone without heating. 3. The value of the survey in influencing the political agenda in regard to community health. There are issues that are unique to Jersey. These include population controls, the degree of economic prosperity coupled with economic inequalities, the mounting pressure on environmental resources, and the strong community base provided through the Parish system.(2)

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