Risk and Health Policy Preferences: Evidence from the UK COVID-19 Crisis

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic constituted a large shock to the risk of acquiring a disease that represents a meaningful threat to health. We investigate whether individuals subject to larger increases in objective health risk -- operationalised by occupation-based measures of proximity to other people -- became more supportive of increased government healthcare spending during the crisis. Using panel data which tracks UK individuals before and after the outbreak of the pandemic, we implement a fixed-effect design which was pre-registered before the key treatment variable was available to us. While individuals in high-risk occupations were more worried about their personal risk of infection, and had higher COVID death rates, there is no evidence that increased health risks during COVID-19 shifted attitudes on government spending on healthcare, nor broader attitudes relating to redistribution. Our findings are consistent with recent research demonstrating the limited effects of the pandemic on political attitudes.

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UK Fiscal Squeezes over a Century

10.1093/oso/9780198779612.003.0002 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Christopher Hood ◽

Rozana Himaz

Keyword(s):

Data Sources ◽

Fiscal Consolidation ◽

Financial Outcomes ◽

Financial Conditions ◽

Deficit Reduction ◽

Before And After ◽

The Uk ◽

Changes Over Time ◽

Spending Cuts ◽

Over Time

This chapter draws on historical statistics reporting financial outcomes for spending, taxation, debt, and deficit for the UK over a century to (a) identify quantitatively and compare the main fiscal squeeze episodes (i.e. major revenue increases, spending cuts, or both) in terms of type (soft squeezes and hard squeezes, spending squeezes, and revenue squeezes), depth, and length; (b) compare these periods of austerity against measures of fiscal consolidation in terms of deficit reduction; and (c) identify economic and financial conditions before and after the various squeezes. It explores the extent to which the identification of squeeze episodes and their classification is sensitive to which thresholds are set and what data sources are used. The chapter identifies major changes over time that emerge from this analysis over the changing depth and types of squeeze.

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The impact of symptoms on quality of life before and after diagnosis of coeliac disease: the results from a Polish population survey and comparison with the results from the United Kingdom

BMC Gastroenterology ◽

10.1186/s12876-021-01673-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Emilia Majsiak ◽

Magdalena Choina ◽

Dominik Golicki ◽

Alastair M. Gray ◽

Bożena Cukrowska

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

United Kingdom ◽

Coeliac Disease ◽

Gluten Free Diet ◽

Gluten Free ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Before And After ◽

The Mean ◽

The Uk

Abstract Background Coeliac disease (CD) is characterised by diverse clinical symptoms, which may cause diagnostic problems and reduce the patients’ quality of life. A study conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) revealed that the mean time between the onset of coeliac symptoms and being diagnosed was above 13 years. This study aimed to analyse the diagnostic process of CD in Poland and evaluate the quality of life of patients before and after CD diagnosis. In addition, results were compared to the results of the original study conducted in the UK. Methods The study included 2500 members of the Polish Coeliac Society. The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire containing questions on socio-demographic factors, clinical aspects and quality of life, using the EQ-5D questionnaire. Questionnaires received from 796 respondents were included in the final analysis. Results The most common symptoms reported by respondents were bloating (75%), abdominal pain (72%), chronic fatigue (63%) and anaemia (58%). Anaemia was the most persistent symptom, with mean duration prior to CD diagnosis of 9.2 years, whereas diarrhoea was observed for the shortest period (4.7 years). The mean duration of any symptom before CD diagnosis was 7.3 years, compared to 13.2 years in the UK. CD diagnosis and the introduction of a gluten-free diet substantially improved the quality of life in each of the five EQ-5D-5L health dimensions: pain and discomfort, anxiety and depression, usual activities, self-care and mobility (p < 0.001), the EQ-Index by 0.149 (SD 0.23) and the EQ-VAS by 30.4 (SD 28.3) points. Conclusions Duration of symptoms prior to the diagnosis of CD in Poland, although shorter than in the UK, was long with an average of 7.3 years from first CD symptoms. Faster CD diagnosis after the onset of symptoms in Polish respondents may be related to a higher percentage of children in the Polish sample. Introduction of a gluten-free diet improves coeliac patients’ quality of life. These results suggest that doctors should be made more aware of CD and its symptoms across all age groups.

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Introduction of standardised packaging and availability of illicit cigarettes: a difference-in-difference analysis of European Union survey data 2015–2018

Thorax ◽

10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215708 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 76 (1) ◽

pp. 89-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anthony A Laverty ◽

Christopher Millett ◽

Nicholas S Hopkinson ◽

Filippos T Filippidis

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Survey Data ◽

Tobacco Industry ◽

Difference In Difference ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Difference Analysis ◽

Illicit Trade ◽

European Union Countries ◽

Before And After ◽

The Uk

Standardised packaging of tobacco products is intended to reduce the appeal of smoking, but the tobacco industry claims this increases illicit trade. We examined the percentage of people reporting being offered illicit cigarettes before and after full implementation of standardised packaging in the UK, Ireland and France and compared this to other European Union countries. Reported ever illicit cigarette exposure fell from 19.8% to 18.1% between 2015 and 2018 in the three countries fully implementing the policy, and from 19.6% to 17.0% in control countries (p for difference=0.320). Standardised packaging does not appear to increase the availability of illicit cigarettes.

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Eastern European immigrants in the UK

International Journal of Manpower ◽

10.1108/ijm-10-2019-0479 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Anna Rosso

Keyword(s):

Wage Gap ◽

Labour Force ◽

Wage Distribution ◽

Eastern European ◽

Defining Moment ◽

Content Type ◽

Before And After ◽

European Immigrants ◽

The Uk ◽

Eastern European Immigrants

PurposeThe paper aims at examining wage developments among Eastern European immigrants vs UK natives before and after the 2004 enlargement by measuring the extent to which inter-group wage differentials are explainable by these groups' changing attributes or by differences in returns to these characteristics. The enlargement has been a defining moment in British recent history and may have contributed to the unfolding of the events that have culminated in Brexit.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a quantitative analysis of the immigrant–native wage gap across the entire distribution by applying the methodology known as the unconditional quantile regression. The analysis is performed before and after the 2004 European Union enlargement to Eastern countries. The data used is the British Labour Force Survey (UK LFS) from 1998 to 2008.FindingsAt all distribution points, a major role is played by occupational downgrading, which increases over time. The results further suggest that the decreased wage levels at the top of the distribution stem mainly from low transferability of skills acquired in the source country.Research limitations/implicationsThe UK LFS does not allow to follow individuals for a long period of time. For this reason, the main limitation of the study is the impossibility to measure for individual-level trajectories in their labour market integration and to account for return migration.Originality/valueThe analysis provides a detailed picture of the wage differences between Eastern European immigrants and natives along the whole wage distribution. The paper also identifies possible causes of the wage gap decrease for EU8 immigrant workers after 2008.

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Can the completeness of radiological cancer staging reports be improved using proforma reporting? A prospective multicentre non-blinded interventional study across 21 centres in the UK

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018499 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. e018499 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anisha Patel ◽

Andrea Rockall ◽

Ashley Guthrie ◽

Fergus Gleeson ◽

Sylvia Worthy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reporting Quality ◽

Cancer Staging ◽

Quality Standard ◽

Interventional Study ◽

Radiology Reports ◽

Before And After ◽

Diagnosis Of Cancer ◽

Detailed Assessment ◽

Uk National Health Service ◽

The Uk

ObjectivesFollowing a diagnosis of cancer, the detailed assessment of prognostic stage by radiology is a crucial determinant of initial therapeutic strategy offered to patients. Pretherapeutic stage by imaging is known to be inconsistently documented. We tested whether the completeness of cancer staging radiology reports could be improved through a nationally introduced pilot of proforma-based reporting for a selection of six common cancers.DesignProspective interventional study comparing the completeness of radiology cancer staging reports before and after the introduction of proforma reporting.SettingTwenty-one UK National Health Service hospitals.Participants1283 cancer staging radiology reports were submitted.Main outcome measuresRadiology staging reports across the six cancers types were evaluated before and after the implementation of proforma-based reporting. Report completeness was assessed using scoring forms listing the presence or absence of predetermined key staging data. Qualitative data regarding proforma implementation and usefulness were collected from questionnaires provided to radiologists and end-users.ResultsElectronic proforma-based reporting was successfully implemented in 15 of the 21 centres during the evaluation period. A total of 787 preproforma and 496 postproforma staging reports were evaluated. In the preproforma group, only 48.7% (5586/11 470) of key staging items were present compared with 87.3% (6043/6920) in the postproforma group. Thus, the introduction of proforma reporting produced a 78% improvement in staging completeness . This increase was seen across all cancer types and centres. The majority of participants found proforma reporting improved cancer reporting quality for their clinical practice .ConclusionThe implementation of proforma reporting results in a significant improvement in the completeness of cancer staging reports. Proforma-based assessment of cancer stage enables objective comparisons of patient outcomes across centres. It should therefore become an auditable quality standard for cancer care.

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Difference between recommended retail price and sales price for tobacco products in independent and convenience (small) retailers before and after the introduction of standardised tobacco packaging in the UK

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054409 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 449-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nathan Critchlow ◽

Martine Stead ◽

Crawford Moodie ◽

Kathryn Angus ◽

Douglas Eadie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Retail Price ◽

Price Sensitivity ◽

Brand Positioning ◽

Average Difference ◽

Product Positioning ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Sales Price ◽

Point Of Sale ◽

Before And After ◽

The Uk

AimRecommended retail price (RRP) is a marketing strategy used by tobacco companies to maintain competitiveness, communicate product positioning and drive sales. We explored small retailer adherence to RRP before and after the introduction of the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations in the UK (fully implemented on 20 May 2017) which mandated standardised packaging of cigarettes and rolling tobacco, set minimum pack/pouch sizes and prohibited price-marking.MethodMonthly electronic point of sale data from 500 small retailers in England, Scotland and Wales were analysed. From May 2016 to October 2017, we monitored 20 of the best-selling fully branded tobacco products (15 factory-made cigarettes, 5 rolling tobacco) and their standardised equivalents. Adherence to RRP was measured as the average difference (%) between monthly RRPs and sales prices by pack type (fully branded vs standardised), price-marking on packaging and price segment.ResultsThe average difference between RRP and sales price increased from +0.36% above RRP (SD=0.72) in May 2016, when only fully branded packs were sold, to +1.37% in October 2017 (SD=0.30), when standardised packs were mandatory. Increases above RRP for fully branded packs increased as they were phased out, with deviation greater for non-price-marked packs and premium products.DiscussionDespite tobacco companies emphasising the importance of RRP, small retailers implemented small increases above RRP as standardised packaging was introduced. Consequently, any intended price changes by tobacco companies in response to the legislation (ie, to increase affordability or brand positioning) may be confounded by retailer behaviour, and such deviation may increase consumer price sensitivity.

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Infectivity of populations of the entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis megidis in relation to temperature, age and lipid content

Nematology ◽

10.1163/156854100509439 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 2 (5) ◽

pp. 515-521 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Hara Menti ◽

Denis Wright ◽

Roland Perry

Keyword(s):

Lipid Content ◽

Dose Response ◽

Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Steinernema Feltiae ◽

Optimal Temperature ◽

Temperature Range ◽

Heterorhabditis Megidis ◽

Before And After ◽

The Uk

AbstractThe infectivity of populations of the entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis megidis from Greece (GR) and the UK was compared using Galleria mellonella larvae as hosts. Dose-response tests showed that the two Steinernema populations did not differ in their establishment rates but they were more infective than H. megidis UK 211. The temperature range for infectivity was greater than that for development. However, the optimal temperature for infection and development for all populations was 23°C. Infectivity of Steinernema populations was not affected by storage for 12 weeks. However, 12 week-old H. megidis UK 211 infective juveniles (IJ) were less infective than fresh IJ. H. megidis GR showed very low establishment rates at all the doses and temperatures tested, before and after storage. The results are discussed in relation to the nematodes' climatic origin and lipid content. Pouvoir infestant de populations des nématodes entomopathogènes Steinernema feltiae et Heterorhabditis megidis suivant la température, l'âge et le contenu lipidique - Le pouvoir infestant de populations des nématodes entomopathogènes Steinernema feltiae et Heterorhabditis megidis provenant de Grèce et du Royaume Uni a été comparée, utilisant comme hôte Galleria mellonella. Les tests de dose/réaction ont montré que les taux d'établissement des deux populations ne diffèrent pas mais que leur pouvoir infestant était plus élevée que celle de H. megidis UK211. La plage des températures permettant l'infestation était plus étendue que celle relative au développement. Cependant, les températures optimales pour l'infestation et pour le développement étaient l'une et l'autre de 23°C pour toutes les populations. L'infestivité des populations de Steinernema n'a pas été affectée par un stockage de 12 semaines. Les juvéniles infestants de H. megidis UK211 âgés de 12 semaines montraient toutefois une infestivité plus faible que celle d'individus frais. Les specimens de H. megidis provenant de Grèce présentaient - que ce soit avant ou après le stockage - des taux d'établissement très faibles pour toutes les doses et les températures testées. Ces résultats sont discutés en relation avec l'origine climatique et le contenu lipidique des nématodes.

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Reducing the Health Risks Associated with Travel

Tourism Economics ◽

10.5367/000000000101297550 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 159-167 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Rodney Cartwright

Keyword(s):

Customer Satisfaction ◽

Health Risks ◽

Media Exposure ◽

Tourism Industry ◽

Surveillance Systems ◽

Legal Action ◽

Health Infrastructure ◽

Package Holiday ◽

The Uk

All travel has associated health risks that need to be recognized not only by travellers, but also by tour operators and governments. In this context, the author considers some of the infections that have been contracted by package holiday tourists from the UK. With 15 million package holidays sold in the UK each year and increasing consumer concern about health risks, health is now a major factor in customer satisfaction. Media exposure and possible legal action when expectations are not met mean that the need to reduce the health risks associated with travel is crucial for the tourism industry as well as for travellers themselves. This paper sets out the main hazards and risks and examines what actions can and should be taken by tour operators, destination countries, and tourists. The author stresses the importance of ensuring a proper health infrastructure in the development of tourist areas; the need for operators to stipulate minimum hotel standards, backed up by regular auditing; the responsibility of tourists to ensure that they do not expose themselves to unnecessary risks; and the significance of surveillance systems in the control of travel-related diseases.

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Analysis of the components of cancer risk perception and links with intention and behaviour: A UK-based study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0262197 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. e0262197

Author(s):

Christiane Riedinger ◽

Jackie Campbell ◽

William M. P. Klein ◽

Rebecca A. Ferrer ◽

Juliet A. Usher-Smith

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

Risk Perception ◽

Cancer Risk ◽

Behaviour Change ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Distinct Component ◽

Cancer Risk Perception ◽

Before And After ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

The Uk

Risk perception refers to how individuals interpret their susceptibility to threats, and has been hypothesised as an important predictor of intentions and behaviour in many theories of health behaviour change. However, its components, optimal measurement, and effects are not yet fully understood. The TRIRISK model, developed in the US, conceptualises risk perception as deliberative, affective and experiential components. In this study, we aimed to assess the replicability of the TRIRISK model in a UK sample by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), explore the inherent factor structure of risk perception in the UK sample by exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and assess the associations of EFA-based factors with intentions to change behaviour and subsequent behaviour change. Data were derived from an online randomised controlled trial assessing cancer risk perception using the TRIRISK instrument and intention and lifestyle measures before and after communication of cancer risk. In the CFA analysis, the TRIRISK model of risk perception did not provide a good fit for the UK data. A revised model developed using EFA consisted of two separate “numerical” and “self-reflective” factors of deliberative risk perception, and a third factor combining affective with a subset of experiential items. This model provided a better fit to the data when cross-validated. Using multivariable regression analysis, we found that the self-reflective and affective-experiential factors of the model identified in this study were reliable predictors of intentions to prevent cancer. There were no associations of any of the risk perception factors with behaviour change. This study confirms that risk perception is clearly a multidimensional construct, having identified self-reflective risk perception as a new distinct component with predictive validity for intention. Furthermore, we highlight the practical implications of our findings for the design of interventions incorporating risk perception aimed at behaviour change in the context of cancer prevention.

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Do post-COVID-19 patients need a second dose of vaccine?

10.1101/2021.04.09.21255200 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jorg Taubel ◽

Christopher S Spencer ◽

Anne Freier ◽

Dorothée Camilleri ◽

Ibon Garitaonandia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Quantitative Difference ◽

Individual Risk ◽

Longitudinal Assessment ◽

Before And After ◽

Antibody Titres ◽

History Of ◽

The Uk ◽

Antibody Levels ◽

Public Health Strategies

AbstractVaccination forms a key part of public health strategies to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 globally. In the UK, two vaccines (BNT162b2-mRNA produced by Pfizer, and ChAdOx-1-S produced by Oxford-AstraZeneca) have been licensed to date, and their administration is prioritised according to individual risk. This study forms part of a longitudinal assessment of participants’ SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody levels before and after vaccination. Our results confirm that there is little quantitative difference in the antibody titres achieved by the two vaccines. Our results also suggest that individuals who have previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2 achieve markedly higher antibody titres than those who are immunologically naïve. This finding is useful to inform vaccine prioritisation strategies in the future: individuals with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection should be prioritised for a second vaccine inoculation.

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