Resources

Skills for public health systems leadership: Reflections on practice

The role of public health leaders is ultimately to improve health outcomes, especially for the most vulnerable in our society. Public health leaders have to work across multiple ‘systems’ because the causes of public health issues are often complex and multi-faceted.
This report, via a brief literature review and interviews with public health systems leaders, aims to explore the role of public health leaders in driving change for better health outcomes and the attributes needed to be successful. We hope that the report findings will be useful for future systems leaders to develop their skills in these areas.

Time to Talk Public Health: October 2023 Panel Survey Findings

Time to Talk Public Health is a national panel of Welsh residents aged 16+ years established by Public Health Wales enabling regular public engagement to inform public health policy and practice. The panel is designed to be broadly representative of the Welsh population by age, sex, deprivation, ethnicity and health board. This report presents findings from the October 2023 survey covering: 20mph speed limits, vaping, use of antibiotics, HIV, vaccines, addressing inequalities and coronavirus.

Everybody’s Business: Early Intervention Crime Reduction

This report aims to aid understanding of how multi-agency partners, including police and justice, health and social care, local government, education, and the third sector, can work together to prevent harms that cross the public health and criminal justice landscape, such as violence, substance use and mental health. It provides examples of ways in which multi-agency partners can work to implement whole system approaches to addressing harm and examines areas where early intervention and preventative policing approaches have been or are likely to be successful.

Research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and shift to more agile working, on Public Health Wales’ carbon footprint

The report looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to more agile working on Public Health Wales’ carbon footprint, focusing on both operational and staff homeworking emissions.

The report covers four key areas of emissions, procurement, travel, business/ site and homeworking. The emissions for each area have been calculated for 2019/20 and 2020/21 to compare the difference between the two years, identifying the impact on our carbon footprint for each key area, along with key insights and recommendations.

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on Public Health Wales’ Emissions

The five infographics share the key findings and recommendations of the research project to look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to more agile working on Public Health Wales Carbon Footprint.

The infographics cover the overall findings and the impact on emissions for the four key areas; procurement, homeworking, business/ site and travel emissions. They include detail on the overall recommendations for PHW, along with suggestions on how individuals can help to reduce their carbon emissions.

Parental technoference and adolescents’ mental health and violent behaviour: a scoping review

The term ‘technoference’ refers to habitual interferences and disruptions within interpersonal relationships or time spent together due to use of electronic devices. Emerging evidence suggests associations between parental technoference and young people’s mental health and violent behaviours. This scoping review sought to summarise the existing literature. Findings suggest that parents should be aware of the environment in which they use electronic devices as their use can potentially, directly and indirectly, influence adolescent mental health and violent behaviours. Further research into the potential caveats of parental technoference could support the development of evidence-informed guidelines for parental management of electronic devices.

A practical handbook on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Delivering prevention, building resilience and developing trauma-informed systems: A resource for professionals and organisations

This new resource aims to support action on ACEs by providing practical advice on implementing work to prevent ACEs, build resilience, and develop trauma-informed organisations, sectors and systems. It supports the development of a trauma-informed society that is invested in action to prevent ACEs and better support those affected by them.

New Solutions Platform Spotlight Feature on Improving Health Equity by Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life

The Welsh Health Equity Solutions Platform (WHESP) has published a new Spotlight Feature, highlighting solutions focused action to address health inequities. This spotlight feature focuses on ‘Children and the cost of living crisis in Wales: How children’s health and well-being are impacted and areas for action’.

Evidence shows the cost of living crisis is compounding the impacts of child poverty on children’s development now, and their outcomes in later life. Public Health Wales’s analysis identified 11 priority areas for action to reduce the impact of child poverty and the cost of living crisis on health inequity among children in Wales, both now and into the longer term.

Public Health Wales hopes that this analysis can help inform the development of Welsh Government’s revised Child Poverty Strategy for Wales and provides a framework for prioritising the health and well-being of children during this time of crisis while also setting a course for a healthier and more equal future for Wales.

Behavioural Diagnosis – Mapping insights and selecting intervention functions

A practical, interactive tool to help you consider which implementation functions may be the most appropriate for delivering your chosen intervention.

Behavioural Diagnosis – Selecting implementation types

A practical, interactive tool to help you consider which implementation types may be the most appropriate for delivering your chosen intervention.

Behavioural Discovery Tool

A practical, online tool to walk you through the essential considerations to understanding and influencing behaviours that may be at play in your better-health issue.

Public Health Wales: Our International Health Strategy 2023-2035

Public Health Wales has updated its 2017 International Health Strategy to better reflect the significant changes in the global landscape and to enable Public Health Wales’ new Long-Term Strategy.

Cold indoor temperatures and their association with health and well-being: a systematic literature review

Evidence suggests that indoor temperatures <18°C are associated with negative health effects. This study aimed to identify, appraise and update evidence on the association between cold temperatures (i.e. <18°C) within homes (i.e. dwellings) and health and well-being outcomes. Significant gaps in the current evidence base are identified, including research on the impacts of cold indoor temperatures on mental health and well-being, studies involving young children, and the long-term health effects of cold indoor temperatures.

The rising cost of living and health and wellbeing in Wales: a national survey

Households across Wales and worldwide are experiencing an increase in the cost of living. Since late 2021, price rises for basic items such as food and energy have outstripped increases in average wages and welfare payments, leading to a fall in real disposable incomes. As a result, increasing pressure on household budgets is making it harder for people to afford the basics and is often referred to as a ‘cost of living crisis’. This report presents the findings of a survey developed to understand how the cost of living crisis is affecting health and wellbeing among the Welsh public; their approaches and decision-making relating to rising living costs; and their awareness of and access to financial support and schemes.

Identifying evidence to support action to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health: A systematic scoping and mapping review

This report examines the review-level evidence that is available to guide action on reducing socioeconomic inequalities in health. Evidence about public health interventions, programmes and policies applied to populations, groups and other geographically defined areas or jurisdictions was sought to explore whether they preferentially improve the health outcomes of people experiencing socioeconomic inequalities.

Tackling the public health effects of climate change – find out how you and your team can take action

Public Health Wales has a new strategic priority: tackling the public health effects of climate change, in recognition of the climate emergency being the greatest health threat facing humanity.

This webinar introduced a free online resource that helps individuals and teams to take action to reduce their environmental impact.

Time to Talk Public Health: August 2023 Panel Survey Findings

Time to Talk Public Health is a national panel of Welsh residents aged 16+ years established by Public Health Wales to enable regular public engagement to inform public health policy and practice. The panel is designed to be broadly representative of the Welsh population by age, sex, deprivation, ethnicity and health board. This report presents findings from the August 2023 survey covering: Emergency Departments, Campaigns, Cost of Living, Dental Health, Bowel Screening, and Post-natal Weight Management.

Health Impact Assessment for Climate Adaptation: Examples from Practice

This briefing focusses on adaptation to address climate change and the application of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) as a process that can support policy makers to maximise wellbeing benefits, minimise harm to health, and avoid widening health inequalities when designing adaptation policies. It contains five case studies – two international and three from Wales, and provides action oriented examples of putting HIA into practice.

International Horizon Scanning and Learning Report: Five Essential Conditions for Health Equity Report 46

The International Horizon Scanning and Learning reports were initiated as part of the COVID-19 public health response, to support dynamic response and recovery measures and planning in Wales. In spring 2022, the scope of the reports was expanded to cover priority public health topics, including in the areas of health improvement and promotion, health protection, and health care public health.
In focus: Five Essential Conditions for Health Equity

Building a Fairer Gwent: Wales’ first Marmot Region

The Welsh Health Equity Solutions Platform (WHESP) has published a new Spotlight Feature, highlighting solutions focused action to address health inequities. This spotlight feature focuses on ‘Building a Fairer Gwent: Wales’ first Marmot Region’.

As Gwent assumes its role as a Marmot Region, a community-centred approach will be adopted to create environments that foster good health. Through this, several key areas will come under focus, including ensuring access to quality education, employment opportunities, and reliable transportation services.

How could international trade agreements help or hinder the well-being of future generations in Wales?

Now that the UK has left the European Union, the UK Government is negotiating international trade agreements on behalf of the rest of the UK for the first time in nearly half a decade. International trade agreements have the potential to impact positively and negatively on health, well-being, and equity in Wales.

Here we provide a visual methodology for exploring the ways in which specific international trade agreements may have this impact through the lens of the goals set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. In this infographic report, we summarise the potential impacts of the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Free Trade Agreement.

Preventing Sexual Violence In The Night Time Economy: Encouraging Men To Be Active Bystanders

#SafeToSay seeks to prevent sexual harassment through encouraging prosocial bystander responses towards sexual harassment or its warning signs in night life spaces.

Building on the evaluation of Phase One of #SafeToSay, Phase Two was delivered by the Wales Violence Prevention Unit, with funding from the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, as part of the Home Office Safety of Women at Night (SWaN) fund.

This evaluation has used findings from social media and website analytics, as well as the responses to a post-campaign public perception survey.

Children and the cost of living crisis in Wales: How children’s health and well-being are impacted and areas for action

This report summarises findings from a literature review of the impact of the cost of living crisis on children’s health and well-being. We drew on the findings to make recommendations across eleven priority policy action areas.

Measuring changes in adult health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and their relationship with adverse childhood experiences and current social assets: a cross-sectional survey

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can impact mental and physical health, leaving people with less resilience to health challenges across the life-course. This study examines whether individuals’ levels and changes in levels of mental health, physical health and sleep quality reported across the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic are associated with ACEs and moderated by social assets such as having trusted family and friends.

ACEtimation-The Combined Effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Violence, Health-Harming Behaviors, and Mental Ill-Health: Findings across England and Wales

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) encompass various adversities, e.g., physical and/or emotional abuse. Understanding the effects of different ACE types on various health outcomes can guide targeted prevention and intervention. We estimated the association between three categories of ACEs in isolation and when they co-occurred. Specifically, the relationship between child maltreatment, witnessing violence, and household dysfunction and the risk of being involved in violence, engaging in health-harming behaviors, and experiencing mental ill-health.

Time to Talk Public Health: June 2023 Panel Survey Findings

Time to Talk Public Health is a national panel of Welsh residents aged 16+ years established by Public Health Wales to enable regular public engagement to inform public health policy and practice. The panel is designed to be broadly representative of the Welsh population by age, sex, deprivation, ethnicity and health board. This report presents findings from the June 2023 survey covering: NHS waiting lists, Housing, Witnessing violence, Mental well-being, Primary care.

International Horizon Scanning and Learning Report: Mental Health and Well-being of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers Report 45

The International Horizon Scanning and Learning reports were initiated as part of the COVID-19 public health response, to support dynamic response and recovery measures and planning in Wales. In spring 2022, the scope of the reports was expanded to cover priority public health topics, including in the areas of health improvement and promotion, health protection, and health care public health.

In focus: Mental Health and Well-being of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers

Wales Without Violence: Perspectives of Children and Young People

Wales Without Violence: Perspectives of Children and Young People brings together contributions made by children and young people during the Wales Without Violence consultation. It provides unparalleled insight into the issues most affecting children and young people in Wales, as well as their priorities for preventing violence.
The report should be read alongside the Wales Without Violence Framework.

Welsh Health Equity Solutions Platform Animation: How to use the Solutions Platform

The Welsh Health Equity Solutions Platform (WHESP) animation provides an overview of the functionality of the platform, guiding the user page-by-page through each section and tool. It showcases the easy-to-use Data Tool and Report Generator, that can both be tailored to a desired area of interest to produce outputs to inform work and frame insights.

Climate Change in Wales: Health Impact Assessment

This health impact assessment (HIA) is a strategic and comprehensive appraisal of the potential implications of climate change on population health in Wales. It provides robust evidence to inform public bodies, agencies and organisations in their preparations for, and responses to, climate change and climate change events. It aims to support adoption of policies and plans that can promote and protect health and wellbeing for all in Wales and in those population groups and geographical areas particularly at risk of negative impacts.

The outputs of the HIA available to download here are:

• An evidence based HIA Summary report
• Individual chapters on the evidence of impact of climate change on the wider determinants of health and population groups in Wales
• A set of 4 infographics
• A PowerPoint slide deck
• A Technical Report