Informing investment to reduce health inequalities - new interactive tool launched

A new study by researchers at the Scottish Public Health Observatory (ScotPHO) has, for the first time, shown the extent to which regulatory and tax interventions which redistribute income are more effective at reducing health and health inequalities than interventions focussed on individual health behaviours. 

The study ‘Informing investment to reduce health inequalities in Scotland’ developed an interactive tool to model the impact of 11 interventions over a period of 20 years on health and health inequalities ranging from changes to income and employment to investment in smoking cessation, alcohol brief interventions and weight management services.

Results showed that interventions have markedly different effects on health and health inequalities. The most effective interventions were regulatory and tax options which redistribute income. Interventions focussed on individuals changing their own behaviours, were much less likely to impact on inequalities, even when targeted at those in the most deprived communities.