Cumbria Community Foundation - Furness: Opportunities and Challenges 2021

F U R N E S S – O P P O R T U N I T I E S & C H A L L E N G E S 18 Healthy lifestyles Obesity is a factor in a host of health conditions including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and liver disease. Rising levels of obesity 8 are a public health issue nationally and Furness is no exception. Some 24.4% of adults are obese, slightly above the national average of 24.1%, but there are significant local variations. In Barrow’s Central ward, 27.7% are obese, compared with 21.9% in Ulverston West and only 16.7% in Furness Peninsula. Worryingly, childhood obesity is a particular issue. In their reception year, 13.4% of children in Furness are obese (England average: 9.6%) although the gap has narrowed by the time they start secondary school. Obesity is a product of unhealthy lifestyles. Only 25.8% of Furness residents have a healthy diet 8 (England: 28.7%) while 22.8% smoke (England: 22.2%). On the other hand, 66% are physically active 9 – slightly higher than the average for England of 64%. Alcohol abuse is a major health issue. Only 19.1% are classed as binge drinkers 8 , just below the national average of 20%, but Barrow in particular scores badly on all other indicators. Rates 6 of alcohol-related mortality, alcohol-specific mortality, and hospital admissions for alcohol-related and alcohol-specific conditions are all above the average for England. Most worrying is the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-specific conditions among under-18s. At 100.9 per 100,000 population, this is more than three times the national average. High Furness falls within South Lakeland where rates for all these indicators are lower, below the national average in every case except hospital admissions for under-18s. Curiously, ward data shows that rates 8 of binge drinking are higher in High Furness, suggesting this is a problem primarily affecting more prosperous areas. 8 Health Survey for England 9 Sport England Mental health Suicide rates 47 are above the national average, especially for men. In Barrow, the suicide rate for males is 26.0 per 100,000 population (England: 17.2) and for females 5.5 per 100,000 (England: 5.4). Figures for incidents of self-harm 6 are very high. In Barrow, the rate for men is 274.9 per 100,000, way above the national average of 139.0. For women, the rate of 505.9 per 100,000 is more than double the average for England of 233.5. Loneliness is a growing problem, particularly for older people and younger people living alone, and Furness has relatively high proportions of both. Pensioner households 4 make up 24.3% of all households (England: 20.7%) while 19.0% are one-person households aged under 65 (England: 17.9%). Lone-parent families make up 26.2% of all families with dependent children (England: 24.5%). Age UK has produced heat maps showing the risk of loneliness for people aged 65 and above. Within Barrow, parts of Barrow Island, Central, Hindpool, Newbarns, Risedale and Walney North wards are deemed to be “very high risk” as are parts of Ulverston.