MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit

International study reveals insights into young people’s online habits in Scotland

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:01:00 BST

New data from the WHO Regional Office for Europe reveals a sharp rise in problematic social media use among adolescents in Scotland.

New WHO/Europe report reveals high rates of unprotected sex among adolescents

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:38:00 BST

A new report from the WHO Regional Office for Europe reveals that condom use among sexually active adolescents has declined significantly since 2014, with rates of unprotected sex worryingly high.

New research on child poverty in Scotland now underway

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 09:00:00 BST

Anna Pearce’s new research, supported by an NIHR award, aims to evaluate child poverty reduction policies and identify ways to increase their benefits to health and reduce health inequalities.

Child poverty reduction policies could substantially improve child health

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 11:10:00 BST

Meeting even the least ambitious child poverty reduction target could make a marked difference to children’s health in the UK, according to the latest health data modelling research.

Active commuting linked to lower risks of mental and physical ill health

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 14:29:00 BST

Strongest benefits seen for cyclists, with 47% lower risk of death from any cause.

Nature time boosts children’s mental health, especially for those from low-income families

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 09:38:00 BST

New research finds that children who spend more time in natural environments have significantly better mental health.

New WHO/Europe report highlights socio-economic disparities in youth health

Thu, 23 May 2024 15:49:00 BST

Children from less affluent families are less active, have poorer diets, and face higher rates of overweight and obesity.

Professor Vittal Katikireddi elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

Tue, 21 May 2024 12:17:00 BST

The Academy of Medical Sciences has elected 58 exceptional biomedical and health scientists to its prestigious Fellowship.

Exercise programmes benefit a wide range of long-term health conditions

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 09:16:00 BST

A new study looking at health data from the last 20 years has highlighted the benefits of exercise programmes for individuals living with long-term health conditions.

Research finds concerning trends in adolescent substance use in the UK

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:37:00 BST

Alcohol is the most commonly used substance, while vaping is now more common than cigarette smoking among young people, according to a new WHO/Europe report coordinated by the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit.

Social media use linked to increased risk of smoking and vaping in teens

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 11:39:00 BST

Time spent on social media was associated with an increased risk of cigarette and e-cigarette use in teenagers, according to new research.

One in six school-aged children experiences cyberbullying, finds new WHO/Europe study

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:03:00 GMT

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe has released the second volume of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, which focuses on patterns of bullying and peer violence.

Rural residents feel less lonely than their urban neighbours

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:09:00 GMT

People living in rural communities in Scotland are less likely to experience loneliness and poor wellbeing than those living in urban areas, according to new research.

Adverts, Adverts Everywhere

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 14:16:00 GMT

Young people speak out about junk food marketing in new report and video created with the Scottish Obesity Alliance.

New research shows how widening inequalities are fuelling childhood obesity

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 02:27:00 GMT

Despite a plateau in overall childhood obesity since 2004, widening societal inequalities meant the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity was seen primarily in socioeconomically disadvantaged children.

Social media use linked to risky health behaviours in young people

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:18:00 GMT

Social media use is associated with risky health behaviours in young people including increased alcohol, drug and tobacco use, anti-social behaviour, risky sexual behaviours and gambling, finds a review of the latest evidence by the Unit.

Research aims to make plant-based diets work for everyone

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 16:02:00 BST

Making plant-based diets a realistic and enjoyable option for all is the goal of a new project that aims to promote healthy diets that are environmentally sustainable.

Mental health in Europe and central Asia: Girls fare worse than boys

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:08:00 BST

Adolescent girls have worse mental health and well-being across the board compared to boys, finds a new survey report by the WHO Regional Office for Europe released today, World Mental Health Day.

Social media may increase the risk of teenage alcohol use and binge drinking

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 11:26:00 BST

Teenagers who spend 30 minutes or more on social media every day may be more at risk of alcohol use and binge drinking, according to new research.

Wealthier children in UK experienced steepest fall in mental health during pandemic

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 11:55:00 BST

Child mental health may have become more equal but worsened overall.

White Gypsy/Traveller group faced a higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:04:00 BST

New research shows, for the first time, a higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation or death for the White Gypsy/Traveller ethnic minority group.

Disrupted access to healthcare during pandemic linked to avoidable hospital admissions

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 10:18:00 BST

Findings highlight need for increasing healthcare investment to tackle short and long term implications of covid-19 pandemic.

National adolescent study reveals insights into young people’s mental health since pandemic

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 11:31:00 BST

The 2022 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Scotland provides data on the health and wellbeing of the nation’s young people.

Flu pandemics are followed by recurrent outbreaks for around two decades

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 14:07:00 BST

Study reveals new findings about the persistent health impacts of flu pandemics beyond the main waves of infection.

Funding to develop policy innovation partnership in Glasgow

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:07:00 BST

The University of Glasgow is one of 10 Local Policy Innovation Partnerships (LPIPs) to receive phase one funding from UKRI.

FM praises ‘vital’ research being done at UofG’s new Clarice Pears Building

Fri, 26 May 2023 10:45:00 BST

We were delighted to welcome Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf to the Clarice Pears Building to learn about our research addressing health inequalities.

People in Britain had less “risky” sex in the year following the pandemic

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:26:12 BST

New research finds that the lower prevalence of people having condomless sex with multiple or new partners during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, was still evident one year after Britain’s first lockdown.

Impact of loneliness on adolescents’ mental health varies between schools

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 16:39:00 GMT

Loneliness is strongly linked with poorer mental health in adolescents, with the impact of loneliness on their mental health varying depending on the school they attend.

Many deaths and hospitalisations of children who have experienced care could be avoided

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 12:21:00 BST

Many hospitalisations and deaths among children and young people who have been in care are completely avoidable, according to a newly published report.

Children living in deprived areas of Scotland twice as likely to experience poor health

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 16:25:00 BST

Children in poorer areas more at risk of obesity, infant mortality and not receiving childhood immunisations.

Upping green space could narrow lifespan gap between poorest and richest areas

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 15:15:00 BST

Each 10% increase in natural space linked to 7% fall in early deaths among under 65s.

Over 300,000 'excess' deaths attributed to UK Government austerity policies

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 15:42:00 BST

New study reports 335,000 additional deaths across Scotland, England & Wales between 2012 and 2019.

New £7 million funding for global health research

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 09:17:00 BST

A new research unit led by Professor Alastair Leyland aims to improve health outcomes and tackle inequalities in Latin America.

Children in poorest areas encounter off-licences 5 times more frequently than those in wealthiest areas

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:20:00 BST

Children living in the most socially disadvantaged areas are more likely to be exposed to alcohol outlets and for them to be closer to their homes.

Measuring blood pressure in both arms can help reduce cardiovascular risk and hypertension

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 14:30:00 BST

Blood pressure should be measured in both arms and the higher reading should be adopted to improve hypertension diagnosis and management, according to a new study.

High rates of avoidable deaths among most disadvantaged

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 17:06:00 BST

Homelessness, opioid addiction, involvement in the criminal justice system and psychosis all independently, and jointly linked to early and avoidable deaths.

How do people released from prison use health services?

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 15:32:00 BST

New research will explore how health services can better support people released from prison in a bid to reduce the numbers dying from substance use, overdose, and suicide.

New study to examine social connectedness and physical activity in ageing

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 16:32:00 BST

A new project led by Prof Sharon Simpson and Dr Emily Long will explore how positive social connections and being active can prevent declining health as we age.

“Levelling up” requires bolder policy response to tackle UK’s regional inequalities in health

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 12:29:00 BST

New analysis of the UK Government’s “Levelling Up” white paper highlights gaps and missed opportunities to address health inequalities.

Adapting and testing a UK smoking prevention intervention

Wed, 04 May 2022 10:57:00 BST

Professor Sharon Simpson is leading a new project to assess whether an intervention called A Stop Smoking In Schools Trial (ASSIST) can be adapted from the UK to the Philippines, China and Indonesia.

How COVID-19 affected the UK's mental health

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 11:45:00 BST

There was a sustained increase in mental distress in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. This did not reverse when lockdown lifted.

Sexual harassment is common in Scotland’s secondary schools

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 10:04:00 GMT

New study suggests school-based strategies to tackle sexual harassment must engage with the complexity of the issue.

£10 million research hub to boost Glasgow’s transition to climate resilience

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 12:57:00 GMT

Scientists are to begin work on a large-scale research programme that will help transform Glasgow into a thriving, climate resilient city and support its ambition to reach net zero by 2030.

Lockdown measures linked to an increase in drinking at home

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 11:58:00 GMT

Lockdown measures throughout 2020 have been linked to people in Scotland and England drinking more at home, according to new research.

Engagement Awards success

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:28:00 GMT

Two Unit research projects recognised in College Engagement Awards.