Implications of child poverty reduction targets for public health and health inequalities in England: a modelling study between 2024 and 2033.

Background: We investigated the potential impacts of child poverty (CP) reduction scenarios on population health and health inequalities in England between 2024 and 2033.

Methods: We combined aggregate local authority-level data with published and newly created estimates on the association between CP and the rate per 100 000 of infant mortality, children (aged <16) looked after, child (aged <16) hospitalisations for nutritional anaemia and child (aged <16) all-cause emergency hospital admissions. We modelled relative, absolute (per 100 000) and total (per total population) annual changes for these outcomes under three CP reduction scenarios between 2024 and 2033- (15% reduction), (25% reduction) and (35% reduction)-compared with a baseline CP scenario (15% increase).

Quality of ethnicity data within Scottish health records and implications of misclassification for ethnic inequalities in severe COVID-19: a national linked data study.

Background: We compared the quality of ethnicity coding within the Public Health Scotland Ethnicity Look-up (PHS-EL) dataset, and other National Health Service datasets, with the 2011 Scottish Census.

Methods: Measures of quality included the level of missingness and misclassification. We examined the impact of misclassification using Cox proportional hazards to compare the risk of severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (hospitalization & death) by ethnic group.

Ethnic inequalities in positive SARS-CoV-2 tests, infection prognosis, COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths: analysis of 2 years of a record linked national cohort study in Scotland.

Background: This study aims to estimate ethnic inequalities in risk for positive SARS-CoV-2 tests, COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths over time in Scotland.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study where the 2011 Scottish Census was linked to health records. We included all individuals ≥ 16 years living in Scotland on 1 March 2020.

The health impact of Scotland's Baby Box Scheme: a natural experiment evaluation using national linked health data.

Background: Scotland's Baby Box Scheme (SBBS) is a national programme offering a box of essential items to all pregnant women in Scotland intended to improve infant and maternal health. We aimed to evaluate the effect of SBBS on selected infant and maternal health outcomes at population and subgroup levels (maternal age and area deprivation).

Methods: Our complete-case, intention-to-treat evaluation used national health data (from the Scottish Morbidity Record [SMR] 01, SMR02, and the Child Health Surveillance Programme-Pre School), linking birth records to postnatal hospitalisation and universal health visitor records in Scotland.

Pathways to ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 health outcomes in the United Kingdom: A systematic map.

Background: Marked ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 infection and its consequences have been documented. The aim of this paper is to identify the range and nature of evidence on potential pathways which lead to ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 related health outcomes in the United Kingdom (UK).

Methods: We searched six bibliographic and five grey literature databases from 1 December 2019 to 23 February 2022 for research on pathways to ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 health outcomes in the UK.

Impact of the Finnish Maternity Grant on infant mortality rates in the 20th century: a natural experimental study.

Background: Baby boxes provide goods to new parents and a space for infant sleeping. They were first introduced in Finland, and it has been argued that the policy helped reduce infant mortality. We evaluated the impact of the Finnish Maternity Grant (which includes the Finnish Baby Box) on infant mortality rates (IMRs) at the points of introduction (disadvantaged mothers only) in 1938 and universalisation in 1949.

Structural barriers to knowledge transfer and exchange among men and women in low-, middle- and high-income countries: an international cross-sectional study with vaccine researchers in 44 countries.

Background: Globally, women constitute 30% of researchers. Despite an increasing proportion of women in research, they are still less likely to have international collaborations. Literature on barriers to knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) between men and women remains limited.