Inequalities

A good starting point is the ASH Scotland tobacco and social deprivation briefing (June 2009).  See also:

• a fact sheet on women and tobacco (May 2008) (doc. 951kb)
• a fact sheet on  tobacco use and minority ethnic groups May 2008) (doc. 996kb)
• a fact sheet on types of tobacco used in some minority ethnic groups (May 2008) (doc. 927kb)
• a fact sheet on tobacco and mental well-being (January 2009) (doc. 979kb)
• an updated literature review on tobacco and older adults (March 2010) (pdf, 496kb)
• recent research on black and minority ethnic groups (updated weekly)
• recent research on mental health (updated weekly)
• recent research on older people (updated weekly)
• recent research on women (updated weekly)

	A mapping exercise and directory of services, resources and training for ethnicity, mental health and older adults Produced as part of ASH Scotland's inequalities project this mapping exercise maps tobacco-related resources and services for minority ethnic communities, mental health and well being and older adults in Scotland.
	AfterNow An exciting new public health website - AfterNow. They say 'Western civilisation has conquered great health perils in the past. But the peculiarly modern malaise seems resistant to treatment. Obesity, depression, addiction, loss of wellbeing  these are issues which sap the resources and spirit of modern practitioners. The AfterNow Project seeks to trace the development of our current situation. In six 5-minute introductory videos  backed up by a dozen 10-minute audio podcasts and over 30 short papers  we unpack the ideas which shape and limit contemporary responses... and look to a brave new future for public health.'
	An atlas of tobacco smoking in Scotland: A report presenting estimated smoking prevalence and smoking attributable deaths within Scotland Published in 2007 this atlas, and supporting appendices, provide estimates of smoking prevalence at different geographical levels in Scotland. Also provided are estimates of smoking-attributable deaths for individual health boards and CHPs.
	An investigation of attitudes towards tobacco use and quitting among three groups facing inequalities Produced as part of ASH Scotland's tobacco and inequalities project, this report discusses the findings from focus groups with people from the three target groups, older adults, mental health and ethnic groups.
	Better Health There is evidence to suggest that while there has been progress in promoting race equality in the last decade, discrimination and disadvantage still persist in access to and the provision of health services. The evidence shows that these communities continue to be at greater risk of being denied services because of cultural stereotypes or assumptions or; receiving health information in a way inappropriate to their linguistic or learning needs; or being mistreated by patients or other staff when employed in Health Services. These experiences of institutional or intentional racism can impact on the health of black and minority ethnic communities as well as their experience of health services.
	Bidi smoking and public health Bidis are small hand-rolled cigarettes which are very common in India, seven or eight times
	Black and minority ethnic views on smoking: patterns, prevalence and needs in Glasgow Produced by ASH Scotland in 2000, this resource provides access to the executive summary, conclusions and recommendations of research which examined the views of a sample of BME adults and health workers in Glasgow on smoking patterns and prevalence within BME communities.
	Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health The Commission calls on the WHO and all governments to lead global action on the social determinants of health with the aim of achieving health equity.
	It's not just deprivation: Why do equally deprived UK cities experience different health outcomes? The link between deprivation and health is well established. However, recent research has highlighted the existence of a Scottish effect, a term used to describe the higher levels of poor health experienced in Scotland over and above that explained by socio-economic circumstances. Evidence of this excess being concentrated in West Central Scotland has led to discussion of a more specific Glasgow effect. However, within the UK, Glasgow is not alone in experiencing relatively high levels of poor health and deprivation; Liverpool and Manchester are two other cities which also stand out in this regard. Previous analyses of this effect were also constrained by limitations of data and geography.
	Measuring socio-economic inequalities in health: a practical guide This is the first in a series of technical briefings to be produced by the Scottish Public Health Observatory. In Scotland - as in many other countries - there is currently considerable emphasis being placed on reducing socio-economic inequalities in health. But success in achieving such a reduction can only be gauged if the inequalities can be measured. This briefing paper therefore looks at several different methods available to measure inequalities and provides a commentary on each. It also comes with an Excel worksheet that will enable public health practitioners and analysts to interpret their own data.
	Moving towards smoke-free in mental health services in Scotland This study was commissioned to explore a move towards smoke-free environments in mental health services in Scotland. It: " Summarises available evidence on tobacco use and tobacco related harm in psychiatric services " Explores how different services have tackled the range of issues around smoking in mental health services.
	Older adults: briefing paper Produced by ASH Scotland as part of the third phase of ASH Scotland's Tobacco and Inequalities Project, this briefing paper provides information on the Tobacco and Inequalities Project and on tobacco use and older adults.
	PATH funded projects Provides information on a range of local pilot projects on smoking cessation, prevention and education, which are funded through a national support fund, that is coordinated by PATH. The projects focus on specific groups, including; older adults, ethnic minority groups; low income, pregnancy, mental health and disability.
	Population tobacco control interventions and their effects on social inequalities in smoking The aim of this 2008 report from the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination was to assess how the effects of population-level tobacco control interventions vary between socioeconomic groups.
	Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics is the Scottish Governments on-going programme to improve the availability, consistency and accessibility of small area statistics in Scotland.
	Service providers' views on tobacco work with three inequalities groups Produced as part of ASH Scotland's tobacco and inequalities project, this report focuses on interviews with service providers.
	Smoking, giving up and mental health A factsheet is intended for professionals and students who want to know more about the relationship between smoking and mental health and to support people they work with in giving up smoking, should they wish to do so. A lot of the information in this factsheet is also useful for people experiencing mental distress and their family, friends and carers.
	Smoking-attributable deaths in Scotland, by SIMD quintile, 2000-04 This document provides estimates of smoking-attributable deaths in Scotland, divided into Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintiles, for the period 2000-2004. By using the approach developed by Peto, Lopez et al, it shows how the proportion of smoking-attributable deaths decreases from the most deprived quintile (fifth) to the least deprived quintile. Statistics are also given for smokingattributable deaths by gender, selected causes of death and key age groups within each SIMD quintile.)
	The aftershock of deindustrialisation: trends in mortality in Scotland and other parts of Europe This 2008 report published by GCPH and NHS Health Scotland reveals the 'aftershock of deindustrialisation' in Scotland by comparing Scotland's health with that of other comparable regions in Europe.
	'The Smokey Joe story' exploration of an innovative approach in smoking cessation: final report Smokey Joe is one of 11 local pilot projects funded through Partnership Action on Tobacco and Health (PATH) to reduce either the number of pregnant women or people faced with health inequalities who smoke. This final report explores the actual practice and the key characteristics of an innovative smoking cessation service in a mixed income community in the West of Scotland.
	Tobacco and inequalities project: needs assessment research summary report As part of ASH Scotland's tobacco and inequalities project ASH Scotland have undertaken a needs assessment in relation to the themes of tobacco and mental health, older adults and ethnicity. The research explores the main issues and identifies priorities for action.
	Tobacco and mental health: a literature review Produced by ASH Scotland as part of the tobacco and inequalities project, this literature review discusses the key issues pertinent to tobacco use amongst adults with mental health difficulties in Scotland.
	Tobacco and older adults: an updated literature review Since 2004 there have been national and local policy developments, publications, resources and research dealing with the issues surrounding tobacco and older adults. The aim of this document is to provide a summary of relevant research (focussing on journal published, but also relevant unpublished work), policy drivers, and raw prevalence/demographic data around the topic of tobacco and older adults.
	Turning a new leaf: women, tobacco, and the future Published by the International Network of Women Against Tobacco (INWAT) in June 2006, this report examines womens use of tobacco in different social contexts, highlights the health effects of using tobacco and describes womens role in tobacco production and marketing.
	WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg) Technical Report Series on the Scientific Basis of Tobacco Product Regulation. The third report presents the conclusions reached and recommendations made by the members of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation at its fifth meeting, during which it reviewed two background papers specially commissioned for the meeting and which dealt, respectively, with the following two themes.
	Women, low income and smoking: breaking down the barrier Funded by the Health Education Board for Scotland the ASH Scotland project Women, Low Income and Smoking aimed to explore new ways of working to address smoking reduction among women living on low income. The Executive summary, conclusions and recommendations of the project are available here.
	Deaf Cancer Wise (Scotland): evaluation of smoking cessation pilot for BSL users This report describes the evaluation of the experience of piloting the Smoking Cessation support provided in Glasgow with a view to building on the lessons learned for possible future expansion of such services.