Social inequalities in adult male mortality by the National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification, England and Wales, 2001-03.

This article reports social inequalities in mortality in men aged 25-64 years in England and Wales, in the period 2001-03 using unlinked data sources and 2001-04 using linked data sources. It represents the first official analysis of premature mortality by the final version of the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification introduced in 2001, and updates the tradition of decennial reporting of mortality by socio-economic status. These results set a benchmark for inequalities in mortality in men of this age, providing insights into the impacts of different social and occupational circumstances in the early 21st Century and enabling future monitoring.

Investigation into sudden infant deaths and unascertained infant deaths in England and Wales, 1995-2003.

This article investigates whether the decline in the sudden infant death rates and the rise in unascertained death rates during the period 1995-2003 were linked. It concludes that changes in certification practices surrounding sudden infant deaths and unascertained deaths suggest that it is becoming more difficult to distinguish between these two causes of death. In addition, there is a huge overlap in the characteristics of babies whose deaths are certified as sudden infant death and those whose death is unascertained.

Mortality in children aged under 8.

This article presents analyses of deaths in England and Wales of children under the age of eight by year of birth and age at death, focusing on children born between 1993 and 2001 and dying between 1993 and 2003. The analysis looks at risk factors available at birth registration including sex, birthweight, multiple birth status, mother's age, father's social class, mother's country of birth and marital status. It is the first time that ONS has been able to analyse deaths occurring up to age seven by these risk factors.

Using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) multi-informant algorithm to screen looked-after children for psychiatric disorders.

Background: Child psychiatric disorders are common among children in foster and residential care, but often go undetected and therefore untreated.

Aims: To assess the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as a potential means for improving the detection of child psychiatric disorders in the community.

Method: SDQ predictions and independent psychiatric diagnoses were compared in a community sample of 1,028 looked-after 5-17 year olds from a nationwide English survey.