How Bradford is setting health trends with study | Letters

Born in Bradford began in 2007 making the city one of the first in England to be able to monitor the health and wellbeing of its population in real time

Simon Jenkins sees Bradford as a “cold spot” amid the successes of other parts of Yorkshire (Could Bradford be the Shoreditch of Yorkshire – or is it the next Detroit?, 3 May). None of us who were born and bred, live or work here doubt the challenges the city faces, not least from the impact of austerity on its economy. But there are some areas in which Bradford is leading the way. Challenges can prompt imaginative thinking. In Bradford an alliance of local people, health professionals and academics got together to set up a major study to improve the health of children.

Born in Bradford began in 2007, includes over 30,000 parents and children, and continues to work with these families. It is providing lessons for Bradford and similar cities across the world about how improving health is everybody’s concern. It has been the catalyst for extending research in the city by linking individual health, education and local authority data and making the city one of the first in England to be able to monitor the health and wellbeing of its population in real time. It provides the context for trying new things and measuring their impact, as illustrated by its partnership with the Better Start Bradford project.

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2HX9B9v