Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40018637›Full record

ArticleBMJ public health2024

Inequalities in local government expenditure on environmental and regulatory services in England from 2009 to 2020: a longitudinal ecological study.

Lauren Murrell, Katie Fahy, Helen E Clough, Roger Gibb, Xingna Zhang, Marie Anne Chattaway, Mark Alan Green, Iain Edward Buchan, Ben Barr, Daniel Hungerford

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Lauren MurrellNational Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0203-5074
Katie FahyDepartment of Public Health, Policy & Systems, University of Liverpool Institute of Population Health, Liverpool, UK.
Helen E CloughNational Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8538-0684
Roger GibbPublic Contributor, PPI Advisor to: Health Protection Research Unit Gastrointestinal Infection, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Xingna ZhangNational Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8849-2112
Marie Anne ChattawayNational Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Mark Alan GreenGeography & Planning, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0942-6628
Iain Edward BuchanNational Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3392-1650
Ben Barr *Department of Public Health, Policy & Systems, University of Liverpool Institute of Population Health, Liverpool, UK.
Daniel Hungerford *National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) infections affect one in five people in the UK and local authorities play a crucial role in controlling these infections. However, there have been substantial reductions in funding for environmental and regulatory (ER) services that enable GI infectious disease prevention and control via food safety and infection control (FSIC) services. This study investigates how local funding cuts to these services have varied across England to understand the potential consequences of inequalities in GI infections. Methods: We carried out a longitudinal observational ecological study, using a panel of annual data between 2009/2010 and 2020/2021. Analysis of ER service expenditure and FSIC service expenditure included 312 and 303 local authorities respectively. Generalised estimating equation models were used to estimate the annual per cent change of ER service expenditure between 2009/2010 and 2020/2021 in addition to FSIC expenditure change overall, and as a share of total ER expenditure. Models analysed trends by local authority structure, population density and deprivation level. Results: ER services saw the largest cuts in unitary authorities, declining by 1.9%. London boroughs had the greatest reductions in FSIC expenditure, decreasing by 9.9%. Both ER and FSIC expenditure decreased with increasing population density. Areas of higher deprivation had the largest reduction in expenditure, with ER and FSIC cuts of 2.4% and 22.8%, respectively, compared with a 1.2% and 7.5% reduction in the least deprived areas. The share of ER expenditure spent on FSIC decreased by 13.4% in the most deprived authorities compared with 6.3% in the least deprived areas. Conclusion: The unequal distribution of cuts shows the need for increased and equitable investment into these services to enable resilience to emerging infectious disease threats and to prevent the widening of health inequalities.

Indexed as

EpidemiologyFood ServicesPublic HealthPublic Health Practice

Identifiers

PMID40018637
PMCPMC11816392

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.