TRAFFIC LIGHTS
for
ABERDEEN NORTH
NEIGHBOURHOOD
N07 HEATHRYFOLD
© NHS Grampian 2005
1
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
1
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
1
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
1
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
1
red >5% worse; green >5% better; amber 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
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.