In this paper, we develop and test a method for examining the influence of national level contextual influences on population health. Acknowledging calls for the use of experimental study designs to explore contextual influences on health, we develop a study design in which sets of local areas...

The aim of this paper is to determine whether the association between the provision of informal care and the health status of caregivers is affected by the country of residence. We focus on two European countries, Belgium and Great Britain, and develop a methodology, which consists of matching a...

This paper considers mortality for ages 15-64 for the period 1981-97 in Britain according to population deciles defined by an area-based poverty measure. Over the study period there has been a polarization of life chances such that by 1994-97 almost one quarter of deaths in this age group can be...

Natural environments, or 'green spaces', have been associated with a wide range of health benefits. Gender differences in neighbourhood effects on health have been found in a number of studies, although these have not been explored in relation to green space. We conducted the first UK-wide study...

Experimental evidence suggests that there may be synergy between the psychological benefits of physical activity, and the restorative effects of contact with a natural environment; physical activity in a natural environment might produce greater mental health benefits than physical activity...

The influence of various aspects of life on wellbeing has been extensively researched. However, despite little empirical evidence, participation in leisure activities has been assumed to increase subjective wellbeing. Leisure is important because it is more under personal control than other...

Introduction Understanding the patterns of wine consumption plays a critical role in the wine marketing process and allows wineries and other wine business to effectively target their market. However, as recently as 2000, Mitchell et al. (2000: 124) lamented the fragmentary picture of wine...