TRAFFIC LIGHTS

for

ABERDEEN NORTH
NEIGHBOURHOOD

N07 HEATHRYFOLD

© NHS Grampian 2005

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TRAFFIC LIGHTS

WHAT ARE THEY FOR?

The Traffic Lights have been designed to:

  • Make it easier to understand health information.
  • Provide health and non-health staff with a systematic, structured tool.
  • Make it easier to see differences between neighbourhoods and areas.
  • Give a starting point for discussion on health issues.
  • Flag issues that need to be investigated further.
  • Help planners pinpoint areas and topics for action.

WHERE DID THE INFORMATION COME FROM?

The Traffic Lights take information from NHS Health Scotland’s ‘Community health and well-being profiles’.

HOW DO THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS WORK?

The Traffic Lights take the ‘percentage below or above the Scotland average’ and simplify it by assigning colour coding as follows:

Health Indicators – Traffic Lights

Red - more than 5% worse than Scotland average

Green – more than 5% better than Scotland average

Amber – within + or – 5% of Scotland average

Population Indicators– Blue Lights

For some indicators, being different to the Scotland average doesn’t mean being ‘worse’ or ‘better’, but it might still be useful information – eg it may help to know that the community has a higher percentage of elderly in the population. For these indicators, we have assigned Blue Lights as follows:

Light blue – more than 5% less than Scotland average

Dark blue – more than 5% more than Scotland average

Mid blue – within + or – 5% of Scotland average

(‘Blank’ traffic light means data not available.)

By using the colour coding, it is much easier to see ‘at a glance’ the issues that may need to be addressed.

NEIGHBOURHOODS

To provide as complete a picture of local health as possible[1], the Neighbourhood Traffic Lights show information for each postcode sector contained within the neighbourhood. The percentage of people from the neighbourhood that live in the postcode sector is shown in brackets. (For example, 96% of the Dyce population lives in the postcode sector AB21 7, 3% lives in AB21 0 and 1% lives in AB21 9). This will allow users to assess which postcodes contribute most to the picture of health in that neighbourhood.

WHAT ELSE IS IN THIS DOCUMENT?

More Information on Red Lights

Information sheets are provided to show the figures behind the red lights. These sheets show the percentage by which the neighbourhood was worse than the Scotland average; the number of people affected; the rate; and for some indicators, the statistical significance.

Traffic Lights - Area Postcode Sectors

Traffic Lights and Blue Lights are provided for each postcode sector in the area (Aberdeen Central, North or South) to help give an overall picture and to put the Neighbourhood lights into context.

Definitions and Sources

Appendix 1 gives more information on how each indicator is calculated, over what time period, and from which source.

For further information about Traffic Lights, please contact:

Dr Linda Leighton-Beck

tel: 01224 558743

email:

Jackie Fleming

tel: 01224 558514

email:

By post at:

Public Health Unit

NHS Grampian

Summerfield House

2 Eday Road

Aberdeen

AB15 6RE

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TRAFFIC LIGHTS

ABERDEEN NORTH NEIGHBOURHOOD

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1 (%) refers to the % of the neighbourhood population resident in the postcode sector

red >5% worse; green >5% better; amber within + or – 5% of Scotland average

blank = no data available

BLUE LIGHTS

ABERDEEN NORTH NEIGHBOURHOOD

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1 (%) refers to the % of the neighbourhood population resident in the postcode sector

dark blue >5% more; light blue >5% less; mid blue within + or – 5% of Scotland average

blank = no data available

RED LIGHT INFORMATION SHEET

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Information on statistical significance is available for a limited number of indicators only.

See Appendix 1 for more on definitions.

TRAFFIC LIGHTS

ABERDEEN NORTH POSTCODE SECTORS

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red >5% worse; green >5% better; amber within + or – 5% of Scotland average

blank = no data available

BLUE LIGHTS

ABERDEEN NORTH POSTCODE SECTORS

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dark blue >5% more; light blue >5% less; mid blue within + or – 5% of Scotland average

blank = no data available

BLUE LIGHTS

ABERDEEN NORTH POSTCODE SECTORS

1

dark blue >5% more; light blue >5% less; mid blue within + or – 5% of Scotland average

blank = no data available

HEALTH INDICATORS: DEFINITIONS AND SOURCES

POPULATION INDICATORS: DEFINITIONS AND SOURCES

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[1]NHS Health Scotland’s ‘Community health and well-being profiles’ presented information for the areas Aberdeen South, Aberdeen North and Aberdeen Central, and for postcode sectors within those areas. Unfortunately, these postcode sectors do not directly match Aberdeen City Council Neighbourhoods.