Diabetes in Colchester: Demographic Profile and Health Issues

This report examines the prevalence of type I and type II diabetes in Colchester, UK, focusing on demographic profiles and associated health issues. It highlights that obesity and unhealthy lifestyles contribute significantly to diabetes cases. The report covers health inequalities, social determinants of health such as poverty and lack of education, and relevant policy issues. It also discusses public health provisions aimed at preventing and managing diabetes. The analysis reveals that diabetes has far-reaching implications for individuals, families, and healthcare services, with reduced life expectancy and substantial costs to the National Health Services. Recommendations emphasize the importance of education, healthy lifestyle choices, and preventive policies to improve public health outcomes related to diabetes in Colchester.

Report.

ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus is mainly a group of metabolic disorders which is significantly
categorized by a raise in blood sugar levels over a long duration. The very two common cause of
type 2 diabetes is obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle of the people. These are the things which are
mainly responsible for nearly about 95% of the total diabetes cases across United Kingdom.
Across Essex County, as nationally, nearly around 3% of the population, over 45,000 population
are living with diabetes. The figure is generally expected to increase, drove by an enhancement
in prevalence of obesity.

Table of Content.
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Demographic profile of Diabetes.................................................................................................1
Health issues in Colchester..........................................................................................................1
Who is affected? Health inequalities...........................................................................................1
Social determinants of Health......................................................................................................1
Policy issues relating to Diabetes................................................................................................1
Public health provisions in Colchester........................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION
Diabetes mellitus, more commonly called as Diabetes, is generally a group of metabolic
disorders significantly characterized by an elevation in blood sugar levels over a long duration.
In this, the very two common cause of type 2 diabetes is obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle of the
people. These such things are mainly responsible for nearly about 95% of the total diabetes cases
across United Kingdom. The diabetes is caused inside the human body when the harmful
pathogens or viruses can attack as well as impairs the insulin producing cells inside the
pancreas.it can leaves an individual with little or no insulin. Across Essex County, as nationally,
nearly around 3% of the population, over 45000 people are living with diabetes. The figure is
generally expected to rise, fuelled by an increase in prevalence of obesity. In addition to this,
diabetes is generally a long-term condition, that involves the far-reaching implications for people
living with it as well as their families and carers. In this report, there is a discussion about the
prevalence of both type I and II diabetes among people across Colchester, UK. The report will
also cover the demographic profile of the leading health issue causes that can significantly affect
the health of the people. To overcome such health issue, there are some policies and
recommendations for people such that diabetes can be effectively overcome and people can live
their life healthier (Campbell and Berg, 2022).
MAIN BODY
Demographic profile of Diabetes.
The demographic profile analysis is generally the study of population-based factors like
ethnicity, race, age, sex and many more. In context with diabetes, the demographic data can
specifically refer to the socio-economic data such as education, income, employment, birth and
death rates which can affect the prevalence of diabetes among people. In contrast with
Colchester, the range from the needs to acquire an appropriate diet towards possible long-term
complications like the CHD, amputations or blindness. An average life expectancy is specifically
reduced among people having type I diabetes by at least 15 years and by 5 years for male and 7
years for female who are having type II diabetes. Furthermore, there is also an unavoidable
influence of the diabetes on the people and their families. The cost of diabetes towards the
National Health Services is not known but, it is more likely to cost within Essex the well-being
economy range between 5 to 10% of the total expenditure of National Health Services and at
1

least about 10% of the National Health Services healthcare expenditure (Scrutiny Review:
Implementing the Diabetes National Service Framework, 2006).
There are the other risk factors that are significantly associated with prevalence of
diabetes and are as mentioned below:
Age: While talking about diabetes, its type I is quite common among the young age such as 18
years. It is because the young people are more prone towards the fast food, having lack of
physical activity, excessive alcohol, intake of excessive fatty foods and so on. These things can
ultimately lead to obesity and can further causes diabetes among young age group people. As the
age of people goes on, there are certain medical conditions that arises such as high blood
pressure levels, high cholesterol levels and many more. These such things can make it tougher to
keep the diabetes under control and causes type II diabetes among the age group 45 and above.
In this age group people often do less physical activity that it why it is more likely occurs in this
age group. People at age above 30-40 generally tends to exercise less, can lose the muscle mass
and effectively gain weight.
Poverty: It is also a risk factor to cause diabetes among people as the low-income people are
generally more prone to develop the health issue as compared with high-income family.
2

Ethnicity/Race: In this, it is quite unclear, various people, including Hispanic, Black, Asian
American people are generally more prone to develop type II diabetes among them.
Inactivity: it is a major reason of why people are developing risk of type I and II diabetes. It is
because people nowadays do not perform regular physical activity such that doing this daily can
effectively help people to reduce the body’s excessive weight, body can use up glucose as energy
and can make the cells more sensitive towards insulin (Diabetes, 2020).
Health issues in Colchester.
Diabetes is a significant condition where the body is not producing enough insulin to keep
the human body healthy. In this, the type I diabetes is more commonly diagnosed among
children and adolescent age group people, whereas the type II diabetes can specifically happen
later in the life stages and has connection to the obesity and lifestyle. It is determined that if it is
treated effectively, the people having diabetes can decreases the symptoms and its associated risk
factors such as cardiovascular illness, kidney failure and stroke day by day. It is believed that
having higher knowledge and education about healthy lifestyle is quite vital to aid people to
manage their diabetic conditions more appropriately. In addition to this, during the current living
with diabetes day within Colchester, about 60% of the people said that they were more confident
of managing their diabetic conditions, but after this, its number raises to 98% across UK (One in
three Type 2 diabetes sufferers in Colchester “not confident in managing condition” – survey,
2015).
Who is affected? Health inequalities.
As per the recent data, there were approximately about 3.9 million population has been
diagnosed with diabetes and about 10% of the population are having type I diabetes (Diabetes,
2022). It is analysed that every people are now suffering from diabetes because of their
unhealthy lifestyle and unhealthy eating. In this, the life expectancy is about 8.6 years reduced
for male and about 8 years reduced for female in the most deprived regions of the Colchester as
compared with the least deprived regions (Local Authority Health Profile 2019, 2020).
3

Figure 1 Injuries and Ill health.
Social determinants of Health.
The social determinants of well-being are usually the economic as well as the social
conditions which can influence people and the group differences within the well-being status. In
this, there are generally the five basic components of health determinants that can make impact
over people’s well-being and can causes diabetes among population such as lack of education
and knowledge, poverty, socio-economic conditions, unhealthy lifestyle and lack of physical
activity. These such factors influence diabetes among population more adversely. In addition to
this, having unhealthy lifestyle among population generally make people to consume enough
fatty food components that can causes obesity and ultimately leading to cause diabetes.
Nowadays, people are less concentration towards their health and performing daily physical
activities, that makes the body to become more lethargic and causes several illnesses within
body. To prevent all these issues, people must perform regular exercise so that they can stay fit
and free from disease. Furthermore, another cause of diabetes is people generally lacks access to
nutritious food which makes them to reduce consumption of essential nutrients and vitamins. In
addition, deficiency of vitamin D is significantly associated towards the onset of diabetes. And,
the people who consumes high dietary food such as high calories, high fat as well as increased
cholesterol levels can effectively develop the risk of having diabetes (Nutbeam, 2019).
4

Policy issues relating to Diabetes.
The government has initially taken steps to avoid the increase in the type II diabetes by
simply concentrating on the excessive education and knowledge initiatives and establishing the
policies which can encourage the enhanced lifestyle as well as the dietary choices. In this, the
well-being associated policies for type II diabetes prevention and control such as culture of good
well-being. The policies which improve the lifestyle programs like physical activities as well as
nutrition are essential in preventing and controlling the diabetes (Policies | Diabetes
Interventions, 2016).
Public health provisions in Colchester.
The public health is mainly defined as the science of protecting the safety as well as
enhancing the well-being of communities via education, making policies and research for illness
and prevent the injury. The main aim of developing the policies and legislations is to prevent the
public from causing such illnesses that can harm the human body. Through these policies and
legislations people can able to understand the importance of healthy eating along with its benefits
(Background Paper on Public Health and Planning, 2017).
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it is concluded that diabetes can impact over people’s well-being
more adversely. It can be caused by various factors such as lack of education and knowledge
about healthy eating, unhealthy lifestyle, poverty, lack of physical activities and many more. By
improving on these such factors, diabetes can be effectively overcome and people can live their
life healthier.
5

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Nutbeam, D., 2019. Health education and health promotion revisited. Health Education
Journal, 78(6), pp.705-709.
Campbell, M.S. and Berg, C.A., 2022. Topical Review: Developmental Framework of
Moderators of Family Conflict for Type 1 Diabetes Outcomes. Journal of Pediatric
Psychology, 47(1), pp.94-98.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019. Investing in interventions
that address non-medical, health-related social needs: Proceedings of a workshop.
Loibl, C., Bruine de Bruin, W., Summers, B., McNair, S. and Verhallen, P., 2021. Which
financial stressors are linked to food insecurity among older adults in the United Kingdom,
Germany, and the Netherlands? An exploratory study. Food Security, pp.1-24.
Robbins, A.B., Gor, A. and Bui, M.R., 2018. Topical crisaborole—a potential treatment for
recalcitrant palmoplantar psoriasis. JAMA dermatology, 154(9), pp.1096-1097.
Online:
One in three Type 2 diabetes sufferers in Colchester “not confident in managing condition” –
survey, 2015 [Online] Available through: https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/one-in-three-type-2-
diabetes-sufferers-in-colchester-not-2210450
Scrutiny Review: Implementing the Diabetes National Service Framework, 2006 [Online]
Available through: https://democracy.southend.gov.uk/documents/s828/Scrutiny%20Review
%20-%20Implementing%20the%20Diabetes%20National%20Service%20Framework.pdf
Diabetes, 2020 [Online] Available through:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444
Diabetes, 2022 [Online] Available through: https://www.livewellcampaign.co.uk/livewell-
articles/diabetes/
Local Authority Health Profile 2019, 2020 [Online] Available through:
https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-reports/health-profiles/2019/e07000071.html?area-
name=colchester
Policies | Diabetes Interventions, 2016 [Online] Available through:
https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/health-strategies/diabetes/interventions/
policies.html
6

Background Paper on Public Health and Planning, 2017 [Online] Available through:
https://cbccrmdata.blob.core.windows.net/noteattachment/Background%20Paper%20Public
%20Health%20and%20Planning%20evidence%20March%202017.pdf
7