The Glasgow Effect refers to the unexplained poor health and low life expectancy of those living in Glasgow , Scotland, compared to the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe. This investigation was put in place to look at and compare Glasgows socio-economic state and mortality rates. This then challenged the question ‘Why does Glasgow have similar levels of deprivation as other cities but appear to have the highest mortality rates?’ The cities that were compared of equally deprived areas around the UK to Glasgow were Liverpool and Manchester.
After completing research on all three of the cities the researchers came to the conclusion that each city was equally income deprived. It highlighted that 1 in 5 potential workers in Glasgow are on incapacity benefit showing the high level of deprivation state in Glasgow. In addition to this, the research suggested that the mortality rates for people under 65 years old was almost 30% higher than those living in cities like Liverpool and Manchester. This proves that it is not only the poor level of deprivation that is causing the mortality rates to be higher.
Following on from this, it appears that the higher mortality rates could be in connection with bad diets and lack of exercise which leads to an unhealthy lifestyle for those living in Glasgow. From looking at the death rates in Glasgow it shows that the death rate caused by suicide in is 70% more than Liverpool and Manchester. Due to lung cancer the death rates in Glasgow are 27% more than the other cities. A figure of great importance is death rates due to alcohol and drug related are almost 50% higher in Glasgow than the other cities mentioned. I find this statistic completely shocking, we now live in a society where people swear by the saying drink to get drunk or not drink at all. Scotland’s culture has now been redeemed for their drinking state and the amount of people who binge drink is becoming increasingly worrying. Poor health choices in this culture are spreading through generations, children and young adults are looking up-to their parents and ultimately copying and coping with their choices.
Scotland has now been named ‘The sick man of Europe’ and I personally feel to have this title over my head is intimidating. The Glasgow Effect may well be related to socio-economic status however, unhealthy lifestyles and the alcohol consumption plays a huge role in the high mortality rates Scotland receives.
