Population review: (2) are we healthier?

This article describes how OPCS statistics can be used to monitor health, to try and answer the question 'are we healthier?' Three aspects of health are covered: mortality, morbidity, and behaviour known to have an impact on health. The discussion covers only those statistics which measure health directly, rather than those deriving from the use of health services. The article does not put forward any particular definition of health nor does it attempt to draw together a single measure of health. It concentrates on the last 10-20 years and aims to cover the whole spectrum of age and sex groups. The model can be applied to any subgroup of the population.