health and well-being | BA1 Dionne Barrie UWS ITE ePDP

After totalling up the major events that I have experienced in my life. Overall, I scored 159 which equates to the implication that there is a 50% chance of a major health breakdown in the next two years.

At first glance I was quite shocked and felt my heart sink as the thought of having a 50% chance of a major breakdown before I turned twenty was quite distressing. However, when I look at my score there were only a few factors –according to the scale- that contributed to it. On one hand, noticed that I am only 9 points over the score of 150 which would’ve landed me in the category of low amount of life change. And on the other, feel like the scale does not take into account the severity of some of these impacts and does not have any mention of exams or university work.

I feel most of my stress relates to maintaining a work/life balance with the demands of university and the desire to have a social life too. Within the last year, I have begun university which has proved intense and comes with a lot of pressure but I feel I am coping well with the workload at this point and I am continuing to ensure I have social time.

As we head towards exam time, I will have to begin studying more frequently. However, I also plan on taking leisure breaks to alleviate any unnecessary stress. In the past I have dissolved into tears of frustration because of exam stress but I feel that this task has helped me identify the areas I find stressful and given me strategies to avoid this.

The Glasgow Effect

The Glasgow Effect refers to the poor health levels in the Scottish city of Glasgow and its surrounding areas compared to other cities in the UK and Europe. However, both Manchester and Liverpool suffer from similar statistics.

As part of our Society and Lifestyle input we were to read a document titled ‘The Glasgow Effect’ which explores the causes of Glasgow’s unusually high death rate and the link with social deprivation. From reading the document, I gathered that the mortality rates in Glasgow are increasing high and found that deaths in under 65’s is 30% higher in Glasgow and in all deaths Glasgow is 14% higher than similarly deprived areas Liverpool and Manchester. I was most shocked to discover that the suicide rate in Glasgow is 70% higher than other UK cities!

We must ask ourselves if our own culture has a role in these high statistics. On further reading I found that the use of illegal drugs and binge drinking are higher in social deprived areas in Scotland which can be linked to the increasing death rate also. Scots are also known for their poor health including poor diets and lack of exercise which can attribute to illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease as well as obesity.

Overall, the fact that Scotland – and Glasgow in particular – has a shorter life expectancy than the rest of the UK and Europe appalling. In order to change this, we need to analyse our choices (including our diets and exercising habits) and alter our lifestyles.

Just another blogs.glowscotland.org.uk – Glow Blogs site