Inequality trends in general health among young people across the 2001, 2011, and 2021 UK censuses

Katrin Metsis; Joanna Inchley; Andrew James Williams; Frank Sullivan

doi:10.1186/s12982-025-00975-y

Inequality trends in general health among young people across the 2001, 2011, and 2021 UK censuses

Katrin Metsis^*
, Joanna Inchley
, Andrew James Williams
, Frank Sullivan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background Evidence on health inequalities among young people is patchy compared to that among adults and younger children. This study examined the association between self-rated general health and a family’s socioeconomic position among 10–24 year olds.

Methods We utilised 2001, 2011 and 2021 census microdata from England and Wales, and 2001 and 2011 data from Scotland. Descriptive methods were used to determine differences in general health status by sociodemographic variables, and logistic regression analysis to calculate the odds of reporting poor health according to the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) of the household reference person (HRP). Logistic regression models controlled for the effects of age, gender, household-level deprivation of education and housing, and UK region.

Results We observed the same socioeconomic patterning of health over the period of twenty years. All occupational groups had higher rates of poor health compared to the least disadvantaged group of young people. Compared to young people from households where the HRP belonged to the managerial or professional NS-SEC group, all other groups, except those self-employed in 2001, had greater odds of reporting poor health. The odds were highest among young people from households where the HRP had never worked or was long-term unemployed: 2.7 times in 2001, 3.1 times in 2011 and 3.6 times in 2021 (p<0.001).

Conclusions We observed a similar social gradient of self-reported poor health across the 2001, 2011 and 2021 census datasets; as disadvantage increased, the share of young people with fair or poor health increased

Original language	English
Article number	573
Pages (from-to)	1-15
Number of pages	15
Journal	Discover Public Health
Volume	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00975-y
Publication status	Published - 24 Sept 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Young people
Adolescents
UK censuses
Self-reported health
Socioeconomic status
National statistics socio-economic classification (NS-SEC)

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@article{486d1afa763b46fcb02751e20801391a,

title = "Inequality trends in general health among young people across the 2001, 2011, and 2021 UK censuses",

abstract = "Background Evidence on health inequalities among young people is patchy compared to that among adults and younger children. This study examined the association between self-rated general health and a family{\textquoteright}s socioeconomic position among 10{\textendash}24 year olds. Methods We utilised 2001, 2011 and 2021 census microdata from England and Wales, and 2001 and 2011 data from Scotland. Descriptive methods were used to determine differences in general health status by sociodemographic variables, and logistic regression analysis to calculate the odds of reporting poor health according to the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) of the household reference person (HRP). Logistic regression models controlled for the effects of age, gender, household-level deprivation of education and housing, and UK region. Results We observed the same socioeconomic patterning of health over the period of twenty years. All occupational groups had higher rates of poor health compared to the least disadvantaged group of young people. Compared to young people from households where the HRP belonged to the managerial or professional NS-SEC group, all other groups, except those self-employed in 2001, had greater odds of reporting poor health. The odds were highest among young people from households where the HRP had never worked or was long-term unemployed: 2.7 times in 2001, 3.1 times in 2011 and 3.6 times in 2021 (p<0.001). Conclusions We observed a similar social gradient of self-reported poor health across the 2001, 2011 and 2021 census datasets; as disadvantage increased, the share of young people with fair or poor health increased",

keywords = "Young people, Adolescents, UK censuses, Self-reported health, Socioeconomic status, National statistics socio-economic classification (NS-SEC)",

author = "Katrin Metsis and Joanna Inchley and Williams, \{Andrew James\} and Frank Sullivan",

note = "Funding: This study is part of the PhD project KM is undertaking at the University of St Andrews as a member of staff. Therefore, there was no specific funding associated with completing this study. JI is supported by the Medical Research Council (MC\_UU\_00022/1) and the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate (SHPSU16).",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "24",

doi = "10.1186/s12982-025-00975-y",

language = "English",

volume = "22",

pages = "1--15",

journal = "Discover Public Health",

issn = "3005-0774",

publisher = "BioMed Central",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Inequality trends in general health among young people across the 2001, 2011, and 2021 UK censuses

AU - Metsis, Katrin

AU - Inchley, Joanna

AU - Williams, Andrew James

AU - Sullivan, Frank

N1 - Funding: This study is part of the PhD project KM is undertaking at the University of St Andrews as a member of staff. Therefore, there was no specific funding associated with completing this study. JI is supported by the Medical Research Council (MC_UU_00022/1) and the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate (SHPSU16).

PY - 2025/9/24

Y1 - 2025/9/24

N2 - Background Evidence on health inequalities among young people is patchy compared to that among adults and younger children. This study examined the association between self-rated general health and a family’s socioeconomic position among 10–24 year olds. Methods We utilised 2001, 2011 and 2021 census microdata from England and Wales, and 2001 and 2011 data from Scotland. Descriptive methods were used to determine differences in general health status by sociodemographic variables, and logistic regression analysis to calculate the odds of reporting poor health according to the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) of the household reference person (HRP). Logistic regression models controlled for the effects of age, gender, household-level deprivation of education and housing, and UK region. Results We observed the same socioeconomic patterning of health over the period of twenty years. All occupational groups had higher rates of poor health compared to the least disadvantaged group of young people. Compared to young people from households where the HRP belonged to the managerial or professional NS-SEC group, all other groups, except those self-employed in 2001, had greater odds of reporting poor health. The odds were highest among young people from households where the HRP had never worked or was long-term unemployed: 2.7 times in 2001, 3.1 times in 2011 and 3.6 times in 2021 (p<0.001). Conclusions We observed a similar social gradient of self-reported poor health across the 2001, 2011 and 2021 census datasets; as disadvantage increased, the share of young people with fair or poor health increased

AB - Background Evidence on health inequalities among young people is patchy compared to that among adults and younger children. This study examined the association between self-rated general health and a family’s socioeconomic position among 10–24 year olds. Methods We utilised 2001, 2011 and 2021 census microdata from England and Wales, and 2001 and 2011 data from Scotland. Descriptive methods were used to determine differences in general health status by sociodemographic variables, and logistic regression analysis to calculate the odds of reporting poor health according to the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) of the household reference person (HRP). Logistic regression models controlled for the effects of age, gender, household-level deprivation of education and housing, and UK region. Results We observed the same socioeconomic patterning of health over the period of twenty years. All occupational groups had higher rates of poor health compared to the least disadvantaged group of young people. Compared to young people from households where the HRP belonged to the managerial or professional NS-SEC group, all other groups, except those self-employed in 2001, had greater odds of reporting poor health. The odds were highest among young people from households where the HRP had never worked or was long-term unemployed: 2.7 times in 2001, 3.1 times in 2011 and 3.6 times in 2021 (p<0.001). Conclusions We observed a similar social gradient of self-reported poor health across the 2001, 2011 and 2021 census datasets; as disadvantage increased, the share of young people with fair or poor health increased

KW - Young people

KW - Adolescents

KW - UK censuses

KW - Self-reported health

KW - Socioeconomic status

KW - National statistics socio-economic classification (NS-SEC)

U2 - 10.1186/s12982-025-00975-y

DO - 10.1186/s12982-025-00975-y

M3 - Article

SN - 3005-0774

VL - 22

SP - 1

EP - 15

JO - Discover Public Health

JF - Discover Public Health

M1 - 573

ER -

Inequality trends in general health among young people across the 2001, 2011, and 2021 UK censuses

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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