Although the link between deprivation and health is well established, work by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH), along with University of Glasgow, NHS Manchester and Liverpool PCT, published in Royal Society journal Public Health, suggests additional factors must be responsible for high levels of mortality and poor health experienced in the Scottish city, which yet ranks 57th in a world list of cities by quality of living.

The study comparing Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester, three cities which share a number of characteristics, including higher poverty levels and poor health. But despite the similarities, and the almost identical socio-economic profiles of the populations living in all three cities, premature deaths in Glasgow are more than 30% higher than in the other cities.

This ‘excess’ mortality is seen across the population i.e. in different age groups (except children), for both males and females, and across those living in deprived and non-deprived neighborhoods.  

For premature mortality, rates tended to be higher for the more deprived areas, especially among males and around a half of ‘excess’ deaths in people aged under 65 were directly related to alcohol and drugs.

The study findings suggest that while income deprivation is an important determinant of health, its impact is affected by context. Deprivation, as currently measured, does not explain higher mortality levels suffered in Glasgow. Additional explanations need to be found and steps taken to change the trend and remove the so called ‘Glasgow Effect.’

David Walsh, (right) GCPH lead report author says “Although deprivation is an extremely important determinant of poor health, in this case it does not appear to explain why mortality rates are so much higher in Glasgow than Liverpool or Manchester.

"A number of hypotheses have been suggested which we hope to be able to examine in detail in a second phase of research.”

Carol Tannahill (left) director of the GCPH adds, “Improving the population’s health is a major priority for the city.  Developing deeper insights into the causes of the city’s long-playing record of ill-health is an essential step towards turning that record around. 

"Health in this part of the country has not always been worse than comparable regions and cities – it’s a phenomenon of the late 20th century – and our aim is to try to understand how Glasgow can become a healthier city again in the future.”