Table 4 Summary of health related outcomes
From: The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on population health in the UK: rapid evidence review
Immediate (1-2 months) | Intermediate (3-6 months) | Longer-term (6+ months) | Populations most at risk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Environmental | • Living in cold/mouldy homes • Material depravation [21] (e.g., inability to buy clothes or food) • Unsafe sleeping practices with infants and younger children | • Increased risk of hospital admissions from: Acute respiratory illness, Coronavirus/Flu/ Influenza-like illnesses • Increased A&E attendance from: Acute respiratory illness, Coronavirus/Flu/ Influenza-like illnesses • Increased prevalence of hypertension | • Increased morbidity and mortality rates from respiratory illness • Increased prevalence of COPD • Increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease | • Intergenerational living (urban) • Children (under 18 years) [22, 23] • Elderly (over 65 years of age) • Co-morbidities / disability |
Mental health | • Anxiety, Depression, reduced quality of life metrics • Insomnia[24] • Self-harm behaviour/ Suicide [25] • Alcohol & Substance Misuse • Diminished social connectedness • Unhappiness/ Dissatisfaction with life | • Increased GP attendance • increased hospital admissions • Increased A&E attendance • Increased use of psychotropic drugs [26] • Increased workforce sickness / absence from work | • Increased mortality rates from suicide/self-harm behaviours • Increased hospital admissions from liver cirrhosis • Increased mortality rates from Alzheimer’s/Dementia | • Young people • Working age adults(in families father’s mental health affected more than mothers in economic shocks) [27] • Young males – suicide |
Physical health | • Physical pain e.g. musculoskeletal pain, chest pain • Falls/Trips/Injuries • Coronavirus/Flu • Malnutrition, particularly in children • Increased risk of infections • Increased risk of domestic violence [28] | • High Blood Pressure • Transient Ischaemic events (TIA); myocardial infarctions (MI) • Decrease in healthy food consumption [29] e.g. increase in obesity [30] • Fainting due to hunger, stunted growth, increased anxiety in children [31] • Complications of malnutrition for example, vitamin deficiencies • Increased hospital admission from food poisoning • Increase in A&E admissions from falls/trips/injuries | • Increased mortality rates from respiratory illness, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases • Excess mortality rates including stroke • Increased mortality rates from Alzheimer’s/Dementia | • Children • Elderly • Co-morbidities / disability |
Service pressures / impacts | • NHS 111 calls (respiratory difficulties), flu symptoms • Increase in infectious diseases in A&E settings • Reduced uptake of screening and immunisation programmes • People not accessing services (rural) • Use of food banks • Increased homelessness | • Increased use of medications e.g. asthma medication in children, painkillers, or anxiety medications in adults, increase in antibiotic prescription • Increased A&E attendance from acute respiratory infections • Increased A&E admissions from stroke, TIA, and MI • Reduced uptake of screening and immunisation programmes [32]: for example; breast cancer, cervical cancer, aortic aneurysm • Increase in infectious diseases in A&E settings • Reduced workforce capacity due to illness | • Excess all-cause and cause specific mortality, for example, cardiovascular disease • Increased mortality rate from; breast cancer, cervical cancer, aortic aneurysm • Increase in children in care [33] | • Rural • Children • Elderly • Co-morbidities / disability • Working age – increased workforce sickness and absenteeism |