Health News Summary - 02 July 2008
2 Jul 2008
Report calls for youth club plan to cut young people drinking; Pupil sex health clinics defended and local health profiles published.
Healthy Lifestyle
Parents 'ignorant' on five-a-day
A new poll for The Department of Health has found that one in three parents say their children know more about healthy eating campaigns than they do. Most told the survey that rising food prices put five portions of fruit and vegetables a day out of their reach. The survey of 1,000 parents in England also revealed that three-quarters of them were unaware that frozen and canned varieties counted towards the total. Food experts said school campaigns were improving children's knowledge. BBC article >>
Also of interest...
'Feeling Fat' Is Worse Than Being Fat
The quality of life of young people who think they are too fat is worse than those who are actually obese according to the All Germany Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents. The study surveyed almost 7,000 boys and girls aged between 11 and 17 years and found that about three quarters were of normal weight. Almost 55% of the girls but just under 36% of the boys surveyed thought that they were ‘too fat, however only approximately 18% of the adolescents were actually overweight. Seven to eight percent of the adolescents were found to be underweight. Journal article >>
Wake-up call on health inequalities
Health profiles for every local authority and region across England have been published by the Department of Health and the Association of Public Health Observatories (APHO). The profiles use key health indicators to capture a picture of the nation’s health down to local level to provide areas across England with information to improve their population’s health. This year’s data also includes new information on child health inequalities.
APHO Health Profiles website >>
Action plan to implement Byron recommendations
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has published a plan on how it intends to make the internet and video games safer for children and young people based on the recommendations outlined in Dr Tanya Byron's report 'Safer Children in a Digital World'. Detailed actions include plans to raise awareness of e-safety issues among children, young people, parents and other adults through a public information and awareness campaign and reforming the classification system for video games. DCSF press release>>
High level of fat and salt in fun park food, says report
Not one of nearly 400 meals checked at 220 theme parks, wildlife parks, museums and other leisure attractions last year met fully the official guidelines for healthier food expected in schools in term time, according to the Local Government Association. Guardian article >>
Healthy Relationships and Sex
Pupil sex health clinics defended
Sexual health clinics are available in nearly 30% of secondary schools in England, according to research by the Sex Education Forum (SEF). Its findings suggested one in six on-site clinics offered the morning after pill, and all provided condoms or pregnancy tests. The results had angered some parents' campaigners who said they were being left "out of the loop" by schools. But the forum said the majority of schools would have talked to parents or governors before setting up clinics. BBC article >>
SEF press release >>
New outreach guidance to support young people’s sexual health provision
Brook has produced the first national guidance for professionals on developing sexual health outreach services for young people, ‘Sexual Health Outreach – Why, What and How’. The guide was commissioned by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit to help local areas accelerate progress of the national Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. It is aimed at those working in, developing and delivering sexual health outreach services and sets out the policy context, government strategies, targets and the practical information needed by commissioners and service providers to develop effective local outreach. Brook press release >>
Abortion increase in young women
The Department of Health has issued abortion statistics for 2007. Figures show the abortion rate was highest at 36 per 1,000 for women aged 19. The under-16 abortion rate was 4.4 and the under-18 rate was 19.8 per 1,000 women, both higher than in 2006. DH press release >>
More money for sexual health services in further education settings
Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo has announced that the government is to provide an additional £6 million over the next three years to further develop sexual health services in further education settings, as part of a wider drive to tackle unplanned teenage pregnancies and abortions among young women. The minister was speaking at the 'Future of Abortion: Controversies and Care' conference, hosted by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.
Brook and fpa criticise government's choice of HPV vaccine
Children and Young People Now magazine reports that The Department of Health has announced it will use the vaccine Cervarix to protect girls from the human papilloma virus (HPV). But both fpa and Brook have said this is a missed opportunity to treat other infections like genital warts, the second most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK after chlamydia. The vaccine will be available to girls aged 12 to 13 from September 2008. From September 2009 it will be prescribed to girls aged up to 18 in a catch-up programme. CYPN article >>
Alcohol and Substance Use
UK children most likely to try cannabis
A report by the World Health Organisation has claimed that young people in the UK are more likely to drink, smoke and to have tried cannabis than in many other western countries. The report, Health Behaviour in School-age Children was based on the experiences of 200,000 11 to 13 and 15 year-old young people in 41 countries. It found that children and young people in the UK are becoming more independent of their families, turning to their friends for support and exposing themselves to higher risks than those in other developed countries. Guardian article >>
Health Behaviour in School-age Children report website >>
School affects smoking in young
Pupils who experience positive and inclusive social environments in school are less likely to take up smoking, according to new research. A study of high-school children suggested that current school-based anti-smoking interventions were "largely ineffective". But the Medical Research Council found that the wider school environment made a difference. It looked at more than 5,000 pupils in 24 schools in Scotland. BBC article >>
New anti-smoking ad launched
The NHS has launched the second phase of an £8 million anti-smoking campaign with a TV advert that plays on parental guilt about smoking in front of children. Using the tagline ‘Smoking. don’t keep it in the family’, the advertisement is filmed from a child’s perspective and shows them imitating their parents by doing housework, watching TV - and pretending to smoke. NHS advertisement >>
Report calls for youth club plan to cut young people drinking
A new report by former head of the Government’s Respect Task Force, Louise Casey who led the government’s Crime and Communities review recommends that by summer 2009 the government should ensure there are youth activities available where needed on Friday evenings in the 50 most deprived areas of the country. In addition the report argues that future capital investment in youth facilities across the country should be dependent upon local authorities being able to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to adequate youth provision being available on Friday evenings. Crime and Communities Review webpage >>
Mental and Emotional Wellbeing
Survey into roles of Primary Mental Health Workers published
Imperial College London have published the results of a survey which explores perceptions of primary mental health workers (PMHWs) in child and adolescent health services’ perceptions about organisation, management and roles. Many NHS Trusts now employ PMHWs, who provide a wide range of services including consultation, liaison and training, to schools, general practices, and social services. Imperial College report >>
New mental health resource produced by young people
Young people in Leicester have produced Pik M3 Up, a magazine that looks at issues of mental health and emotional well-being. Working with local arts organisation Soft Touch with funding from Leicester City PCT and the Youth Offending Service, one group conducted a survey with young people to find out whether ethnicity or religion made a difference to attitudes towards mental health. Other young people supplied real life stories of young people coping with conditions such as ADHD and OCD and devised tips and advice aimed at for young people who may be experiencing difficulties. For further information or a copy of the magazine email Sally Norman or telephone 0116 270 2706.
YW4H Team latest
Youth work and health; ‘We know it makes sense’
Comment piece by National Youth Agency (NYA) Chief Executive Fiona Blacke on health in youth work and the support The NYA’s Good Practice Guidelines for Healthy Youth Work developed by the Youth Work for Health (YW4H) team will provide to the non-formal education sector. CYPN article >>
Partners Wanted
The YW4H team is looking for expressions of interest from a wide range of youth support organisations who want to develop their health work at a local level. Working within the DH Section 64 funding scheme, it is looking to team up with suitable organisations in two separate areas to undertake two short pieces of work, simultaneously, from October 2008 to March 2009. Further information >>
Sexplanation! has all the answers
The YW4H team is working on an updated version of the bestselling sex and relationships resource, ‘The Grapevine Game’. In partnership with Brook the new version has been reviewed, road tested and revamped by project staff and young people across England. Retitled ‘Sexplanation!’ the board game still aims to be a vital resource for those working with young people, opening up honest discussion about sex and relationships. It will be available soon, for more information visit http://www.nya.org.uk/sexplanation%20%3e%3e
Children and Young People’s Services
Healthy youth work cited in latest rounds of Joint Area Reviews
A number of examples of good practice in healthy youth work have been highlighted in rounds seventeen and eighteen of Joint Area Reviews (JARs) conducted by Ofsted. An NYA summary of the JARs examines findings around each of the five Every Child Matters outcomes. NYA summary >>
Dance moves centre stage for more young people
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has set out plans to create stronger links between schools and dance providers with over £100,000 to enable Youth Dance England to continue its work as part of the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People. The Dance Links Scheme enables more schools and specialist colleges to link with local dance schools and professionals to provide a variety of dance experiences for young people. DCMS press release>>
Kooth.com
Young people in Warwickshire facing problems can receive online counselling this month. Kooth.com offers internet users aged 11 to 25 advice on eating disorders, bullying, relationships, self-harm, school worries, drug and alcohol abuse and problems at home. They can log on during evenings and weekends when other services are unavailable. 89% of Kooth users have said they prefer online counselling to telephone support. The website is being piloted until the end of the month and has been paid for and managed by Warwickshire’s drug and alcohol team with a view to securing long-term funding. kooth.com website >>
Funding
vcashpoint
vcashpoint has £1 million to give away to 16 to 25 year olds with bright ideas to make a difference in their communities. The money comes from HSBC and v, the youth volunteering organisation, and applications are welcome from young people for up to £2,500 to run their own volunteering projects. The deadline for applications in the current round is 18 July 2008. Further information >>
Innovation Exchange
The Next Practice Programme which includes access to the NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) Innovation Exchange Fund has been announced. Up to £50,000 is available to Third Sector projects who wish to develop innovative projects supporting excluded young people or promoting independent living. The deadline for applications is 31 July 2008. Further information >>
Events/Training
Centre for Parliamentary Studies
The Alcohol and Young People Summit: Breaking the Cycle of Binge-Drinking, Anti-Social Behaviour and Violence
July 17, Central London
This one day national conference aims to provide an opportunity for stakeholders and local practitioners including police, local authorities and health services to assess the key objectives of the new Youth Alcohol Action Plan. Delegates will consider how it can be implemented fully and effectively through a coherent partnership approach to begin to finally break the cycle of binge-drinking and violence that affects many children and young people in the country. Further information >>
The National Youth Agency
YW4H Regional Seminars - Good Practice Guidelines for Healthy Youth Work
All regions June – September
A series of nine regional events for policymakers and managers from local authorities, PCTs and voluntary and community sector organisations, to examine the key role that youth work has in addressing the health issues of young people. Participants will receive a free copy of The NYA’s newly published “Good Practice Guidelines for Healthy Youth Work”, a groundbreaking quality assurance tool and resource for ensuring the effectiveness of health related youth work at all levels. Further information and booking form>>
Consultation/Research Proposals
YouthHealthTalk (YHT) is part of a national charity that produces the dipex.org.uk >> website on young people’s health. YHT is asking for help with making contact with young people as they would like help to produce two new sites. Full ethics approval has been obtained. They are interested in:
- Young people’s experiences of obesity and being overweight. They are particularly keen to speak to young people aged 16-20 who are struggling with their weight or who have been told they’re overweight or obese. Contact: krysia.canvin@dphpc.ox.ac.uk
- Young people’s experiences of depression.
They are looking for young people aged 16-25 who have experienced depression or persistent low mood. Contact: ulla.raisanen@dphpc.ox.ac.uk
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