Estimating the population of young people by ethnic group in the Northern Region of England, 1971 - 91

We estimate the numbers of young people aged 0 - 24 years, resident in the Northern Region in 1971, 1981, and 1991 by ethnic group, age, sex, and birth place (inside - outside the United Kingdom). In 1991 the numbers of residents by ethnic group, age, and sex were obtained from the census and adjusted for underenumeration; the numbers born inside and outside the United Kingdom were estimated from the 1991 Census Sample of Anonymised Records (SAR). In 1981 and 1971, the numbers of UK-born residents by ethnic group, age, and sex were estimated from the proportion of UK-born residents in the relevant group in the 1991 SAR; country of birth was used as an indication of ethnicity of non-UK-born residents. The accuracy of the estimates is assessed. The methodology developed could be applied to other regions of the United Kingdom

Stillbirth risk with social class and deprivation: no evidence for increasing inequality

The objective of this study was to determine whether inequality in stillbirth risk between social strata has changed over time. Subjects were all 288,869 births in Cumbria, northwest England, 1950–1993 and all 8,039,269 births in England and Wales, 1981–1992. Social class of Cumbrian babies was ascertained from birth registrations. Community deprivation scores were calculated from census data for (i) enumeration districts in Cumbria and (ii) county districts in England and Wales. The relative index of inequality was used to measure inequality of stillbirth risk between social strata. Results indicate inequality in stillbirth risk in Cumbria has fallen significantly since 1966 (P ⩽ 0.02) and was not evident in more recent time periods. In England and Wales, there was significant inequality in stillbirth risk in all time periods and no evidence that this has changed over time. Inequality in stillbirth risk has not increased and in some areas has attenuated in recent years

Stillbirth rates around the nuclear installation at Sellafield, North West England: 1950-1989

The aim of the study was to investigate whether proximity to the nuclear installation at Sellafield, in Cumbria, North West of England, increases the risk of stillbirth in the resident population. The cohort consisted of all 256066 live and 4034 stillbirths to mothers usually domiciled in Cumbria, 1950-1989. The study was a retrospective cohort analysis allowing for year of birth, social class and birth order using: (i) Poisson probability mapping, (ii) comparison of cumulative observed and expected numbers of stillbirths by distance from Sellafield, (iii) logistic regression of stillbirth risk in relation to distance and direction from Sellafield. Poisson probability mapping of stillbirths within 25 km of Sellafield provided no evidence to suggest that proximity to Sellafield increased the risk of stillbirth, either overall or in any specific direction. Comparison of the cumulative observed and expected numbers of stillbirths also showed no increased risk with proximity to Sellafield. Logistic regression analysis of all Cumbrian births supported these results, showing, in particular, that distance from Sellafield did not significantly influence stillbirth risk (P = 0.30). Although there was significant variation in stillbirth risk with direction (P = 0.0004), this was due to stillbirths in areas much further than 25 km from Sellafield. There was no significant effect with distance from Sellafield within any of six directional sectors (P > 0.05). There was no evidence to suggest that proximity to Sellafield increases the risk of stillbirth in the resident population

The establishment of the Household Air Pollution Consortium (HAPCO)

Household air pollution (HAP) is of public health concern, with ~3 billion people worldwide (including > 15 million in the US) exposed. HAP from coal use is a human lung carcinogen, yet the epidemiological evidence on carcinogenicity of HAP from biomass use, primarily wood, is not conclusive. To robustly assess biomass's carcinogenic potential, prospective studies of individuals experiencing a variety of HAP exposures are needed. We have built a global consortium of 13 prospective cohorts (HAPCO: Household Air Pollution Consortium) that have site- and disease-specific mortality and solid fuel use data, for a combined sample size of 587,257 participants and 57,483 deaths. HAPCO provides a novel opportunity to assess the association of HAP with lung cancer death while controlling for important confounders such as tobacco and outdoor air pollution exposures. HAPCO is also uniquely positioned to determine the risks associated with cancers other than lung as well as nonmalignant respiratory and cardiometabolic outcomes, for which prospective epidemiologic research is limited. HAPCO will facilitate research to address public health concerns associated with HAP-attributed exposures by enabling investigators to evaluate sex-specific and smoking status-specific effects under various exposure scenarios