Gosport most deprived in Hampshire: Life expectancy gap revealed
Gosport has been dubbed the most deprived area of Hampshire, according to new data.
The Hampshire local authority area, excluding the three unitary councils for Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight, is among the least deprived authorities in England.
However new data has revealed that 66,300 people in Hampshire live in deprived areas, with Gosport being the most deprived district in the authority. Havant, Eastleigh and Rushmoor are also districts/boroughs in the county with the most deprivation, according to latest stats.
The data revealed at the Hampshire health and wellbeing board (October 11) showed that deprived areas have higher rates of smoking, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and poor mental health compared to the less deprived areas.
The meeting heard living in a deprived area can affect a person’s life in several ways, including life expectancy, academic results, and future work development. It is recorded that life expectancy can vary by up to 10 years between the most and least deprived areas.
There is an eleven-year difference in life expectancy at birth for males in West Leigh (75.1 years) compared to Waterlooville North East (85.8 years).
In this aspect, just under five per cent of Hampshire’s population live in neighbourhoods within the most deprived 20 per cent nationally, representing an estimated population of 66,300 people. Gosport is the most deprived district in Hampshire, while Hart is the least deprived.
Districts like East Hampshire, Fareham, Hart and Winchester do not have any neighbourhoods in the most deprived 20 per cent nationally.
Still, life expectancy in Hampshire is above the national average, with women living for more years than men. A presentation said that in 2020-22, male life expectancy was 81.2 years (78.9 years nationally), and female life expectancy was 84.4 years (82.2 years nationally).
The data also revealed that the most common causes of diseases are cardiovascular and cancers for women and men over 70 years, being more common in deprived areas. Smoking, high blood fasting plasma glucose, high BMI, dietary risks and high systolic blood pressure are the top five risk factors contributing to the burden of disease across the county.
Coronary heart disease, lower back pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes are the leading causes of disability across Hampshire.