Social and Environmental Determinants of Health

Lead Research Organisation: Health Data Research UK (HDR UK)
Department Name: UNLISTED

Abstract

The Social and Environmental Determinants of Health programme will enable data from many different sources to be linked together to support research into understanding how different social and environmental factors affect our health and wellbeing, initially looking at childhood and ageing. With public involvement, it will develop the secure and trustworthy approaches needed to build up detailed pictures, whilst still preserving privacy, of how such factors affect individuals, their homes and households so that new approaches, services and policies can be developed to improve people's lives.

Technical Summary

This work is funded by the UKRI Medical Research Council, UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UKRI Economic and Social Research Council, Department of Health and Social Care, National Institute for Health Research (England), Chief Scientist Office (Scottish Government), Health and Care Research Wales, Public Health Agency HSC (Northern Ireland), British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK

The Social and Environmental (S&E) Determinants of Health Driver Programme will achieve a step change in capability across UK Trusted Research Environments (TREs) for data linkage using the de-facto UK address identification number, known as the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN). It will build on methods, privacy protection and public involvement developed in HDR UK’s first five years to standardise the use of a pseudonymised UPRN spine for research that connects individuals to homes and households over time. It will standardise and share modelled environmental variables at address level to enhance administrative and recruited cohorts across TREs. The programme will engage the public, TREs and data custodians in standardising the assignment and use of UPRN-linked data for research, ensuring privacy protection and advancing science and evidence for policy and services.
UPRN will be embedded into data resources across the UK, covering >65 million people in national administrative datasets and millions in recruited cohorts. New linkages will cover the life course, but the Driver Programme’s scientific questions will focus on childhood and ageing - periods of rapid physiological development or decline and increased susceptibility to environmental hazards and to social risk factors through dependency on carers. The programme's scientific exemplars and pilot work will assess the quality and utility of UPRN-linked social, environmental and longitudinal administrative or recruited cohort data, and triangulate evidence across data sources, TREs and UK countries. By 2028, this programme will deliver a standardised approach to UPRN linkages for research across TREs, a UK-wide capability to link multi-domain data resources to people’s homes and households, and FAIR data assets accessible safely and securely for research throughout the network of TREs.

Publications

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Akaraci S (2025) Kids' Environment and Health Cohort: Database Protocol in International Journal of Population Data Science

 
Description Contribution to Houses of Parliament call for evidence on the SEND crisis
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
Impact Contribution to Houses of Parliament call for evidence on the SEND crisis
URL https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/3517/
 
Description Contribution to Sudlow Review: ECHILD is an exemplar mentioned in report
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
Impact The Sudlow review sets out suggested changes to how access to health data should be taken forward in the UK
URL https://www.hdruk.ac.uk/helping-with-health-data/the-sudlow-review/
 
Description Contribution to Sudlow Review: Kids' Environment and Health is an exemplar mentioned in report
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
Impact The Sudlow review sets out suggested changes to how access to health data should be taken forward in the UK
URL https://www.hdruk.ac.uk/helping-with-health-data/the-sudlow-review/
 
Description Written evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee's 'Heat resilience and sustainable cooling' inquiry. Sep 2023. D Fecht et al
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
URL https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7811/heat-resilience-and-sustainable-cooling/publications/
 
Description Child And Adolescent Health Impacts Of Learning Indoor Environments Under Net Zero : The Chili Hub
Amount £5,500,000 (GBP)
Funding ID MR/Z50645X/1 
Organisation United Kingdom Research and Innovation 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2025 
End 01/2030
 
Description MRC Mid-range Equipment grant World Class Labs award 2022-23. Geospatial processing system for social and environmental health research
Amount £137,734 (GBP)
Funding ID MC_PC_MR/Xx013332/1 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2022 
End 03/2023
 
Description Collaboration to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes. 
Organisation Drinking Water Inspectorate
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Collaboration to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes.
Impact In progress, collaboration between UCL, Swansea and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency and Thames Water to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes.
Start Year 2024
 
Description Collaboration to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes. 
Organisation Thames Water Utilities Limited
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Collaboration to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes.
Impact In progress, collaboration between UCL, Swansea and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency and Thames Water to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes.
Start Year 2024
 
Description Collaboration to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes. 
Organisation UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Collaboration to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes.
Impact In progress, collaboration between UCL, Swansea and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency and Thames Water to research water quality, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and birth/perinatal outcomes.
Start Year 2024
 
Description Collaboration with DfE for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked ONS data assets. 
Organisation Department for Education
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Collaboration with DfE for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked DfE data assets.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration with DfE for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked DfE data assets.
Impact Collaboration with DfE for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked DfE data assets.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Collaboration with MET Office on linkage to environmental data to health records 
Organisation Meteorological Office UK
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Provision of expertise and methodologies on linking environmental and geosptial data to health records.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration is still in developing stage and we are currently scoping out via various workshops on how we can best work together. The contribution will most likely be in the form of environmental data assessts being made available to us for integration to health records.
Impact Collaboration is still in developing stage and we are currently scoping out via various workshops on how we can best work together.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Collaboration with NERC Digital Solutions Programme and JASMIN around best practice technical principles for importing large GIS data and dataflows and UPRN linked NERC data assets. 
Organisation Natural Environment Research Council
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Collaboration with NERC Digital Solutions Programme to develop UPRN linked NERC data assets. Further collaboration around best practice technical principles for importing large GIS data and dataflows with the NERC JASMIN team.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration with NERC Digital Solutions Programme to develop UPRN linked NERC data assets. Further collaboration around best practice technical principles for importing large GIS data and dataflows with the NERC JASMIN team.
Impact Collaboration is still in developing stage and we are currently scoping out via various workshops on how we can best work together.
Start Year 2024
 
Description Collaboration with NHSE for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked ONS data assets. 
Organisation NHS England
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Collaboration with NHSE for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked NHSE data assets.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration with NHSE for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked NHSE data assets.
Impact Collaboration with NHSE for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked NHSE data assets.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Collaboration with ONS for best practice technical principles for importing large GIS data and dataflows and UPRN linked ONS data assets. 
Organisation Office for National Statistics
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Collaboration with ONS for best practice technical principles for importing large GIS data and dataflows and UPRN linked ONS data assets.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration with ONS for best practice technical principles for importing large GIS data and dataflows and UPRN linked ONS data assets.
Impact Collaboration with ONS for best practice technical principles for importing large GIS data and dataflows and UPRN linked ONS data assets.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Collaboration with OS for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked OS data assets. 
Organisation Ordnance Survey
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Collaboration with OS for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked OS data assets.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration with OS for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked OS data assets.
Impact Collaboration with OS for best practice technical principles for UPRN linked OS data assets.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Collaboration with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and ISI Global in Madrid investigating UVA, tuberculosis and cognition. 
Organisation Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Country Spain 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Collaboration with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and ISI Global in Madrid, looking at the potential protective effect of sunlight for tuberculosis, with further linked UVA work examining population impact on cognition.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and ISI Global in Madrid, looking at the potential protective effect of sunlight for tuberculosis, with further linked UVA work examining population impact on cognition.
Impact Collaboration with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and ISI Global in Madrid, looking at the potential protective effect of sunlight for tuberculosis, with further linked UVA work examining population impact on cognition.
Start Year 2024
 
Description Collaboration with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) for open and reusable historic 20th century air pollution estimates 
Organisation UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Collaboration with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). Working with CEH to provide open and reusable historic 20th century air pollution estimates, as part of the UK-SCAPE programme delivering National Capability.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). Working with CEH to provide open and reusable historic 20th century air pollution estimates, as part of the UK-SCAPE programme delivering National Capability.
Impact In progress, but will delivery open and reusable historic 20th century air pollution estimates.
Start Year 2024
 
Description Great Ormond Street Hospital - clean air framework initiative as part of policy on Social determinants of environmental sustainability 
Organisation Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Hospitals 
PI Contribution Collaborated with GOSH to generate and integrate air pollution estimates with hospital system EPIC at Great Olmond Street Hospital to improve information available to patients and clinicians about the residential air pollution levels of patients
Collaborator Contribution GOSH led the project and report as part of the development of a Clean air framework initiative as part of policy on Social determinants of environmental sustainability.
Impact "Acting on the social determnants of health to reduce health inequalities: innovative approaches by provider trusts" learning report. Matilda Allen et al for UCL Partners (health innovation partnership including 17 provider trusts). Published 2023.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Support for Olivia Swann's Wellcome Trust fellowship application 
Organisation University of Edinburgh
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The PI (PH) is a sponsor of Dr Olivia Swann's application for a Wellcome Trust Early Career Award.
Collaborator Contribution Dr Swann will further develop the PICNIC Scotland data
Impact N/A no outputs yet
Start Year 2023
 
Description Blog about PPIE in Kids' Environment and Health cohort 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact PH (the PI) wrote a blog for the ADRUK website about the public engagement work involved in setting up the Kids' Environment and Health Cohort
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://www.adruk.org/news-publications/news-blogs/kids-environment-and-health-cohort-reflections-on...
 
Description Discussion with UKRI on use of JASMIN computing infrastructure 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Discussion with MRC lessons learned from our study which could feed into the future of use/direction of UKRI-funded computer facility JASMIN. This could lead to future collaborations with other UKRI-funded infrastructure.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Presentation to Scientific Advisory Board 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentation to the Scientific Advisory Board of Our Future Health on 'Geolocation for cohort studies' - 26 Feb 2024 by Daniela Fecht
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Presentation to the Scientific Advisory Board ofOur Future Health on 'Geolocation for cohort studies'. 26 Feb 2024- D Fecht 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited to give a presentation to the Scientific Advisory Board of Our Future Health on 'Geolocation for cohort studies'. 26 Feb 2024.
Presentation was part of the Data Enrichment session on the topic of Geolocation, which will form part of the OFH additional exposure ascertainment discussions. Presentation focused on advances in this area with a view to it being incorporated into the Our Future Health cohort, and was followed by a discussion with the Board.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Various knowledge sharing events (talks, abstract presentations etc.) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Various knowledge sharing events (talks, abstract presentations etc.). In total, engaging around 1000 individuals across 33 organisations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023,2024,2025