Local health - the big picture

Leicester is one of the most diverse and disadvantaged urban areas in the country. Within the city, some areas have poorer health and shorter lives than in other areas.

It's an old city with a young population. About 45% of Leicester people are under 29. It is a city where English is not commonly spoken as a first language by almost 1 in 5 people.

Leicester is also a growing city with a population close to 300,000. There are many areas with a strong sense of community identity.

About 2 in every 5 people are from ethnic minorities, and many people belong to the city's 14 different religions. Arising from those religions there are 240 faith groups which meet regularly. In our work to improve the city's health we are respectful and sensitive to the city's many cultural differences.

Deprivation and health

We also have some of the most deprived areas, and some of the worst health in the whole of Britain. For instance, almost a quarter of all Leicester adults smoke and 17% of people abuse alcohol. In recent years, alcohol related emergency admissions doubled.

Stroke rates are far too high. Heart related diseases are among the commonest causes of death, especially cardio vascular disease. This and chronic heart disease are the most common causes of death. Cancer is the leading cause of premature deaths among the under-75s. In fact, death rates - for whatever cause - are 20% higher than they should be.

Over 17,000 people have diabetes. There may be as many again, still undiagnosed. High diabetes rates are a major concern, especially among our large South Asian population. Over a quarter of Leicester's adults are obese. Many children are too. Teenage pregnancy rates are above the national average. Mental health problems affect about a third of the city at sometime.

Health inequalities

Large differences in life expectancy occur in different areas of the city. We call these variations ‘health inequalities' between the different parts of Leicester - and between Leicester and the country as a whole. These inequalities are often associated with deprivation. Leicester is the 20th most deprived area in the UK. It has 13 city wards which are in the 28 most deprived in England, with almost half the population of the city being highly disadvantaged.