This section of our Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) brings together different sources of data on current and future health and wellbeing issues. Use the sections below to explore the information available for different topics or geographic areas.
Place
Place refers to a geographic area, such as a ward, locality or neighbourhood across Dorset Council. Understanding health and wellbeing helps us to plan, collaborate and deliver services that meet the needs and priorities of communities. Explore the health data available for different types of places:
- view data for groups of general practices in Dorset
- view health data for electoral wards in Dorset
- find out how health has changed in your area
Healthy lives
Explore data related to physical and mental health and wellbeing. This section also includes data about health inequalities and promoting healthier behaviours.
Good health, wellbeing and resilience are key for all our children. It's a local authority's statutory responsibility to commission public health services for children and young people aged 0 to 19 years. This page sets out sources of data related to children and young people’s health and wellbeing:
- Population – Key Facts and Figures
- State of Dorset 2024
- Dorset Council Children's Topic Area
- Dorset Inequalities
- Dorset Child Health Profiles – Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
- Maternity Statistics
- Education data
- School suspensions and exclusions data
- Local area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities report for Dorset Council | LG Inform
- Pan-Dorset ADHD and Autism Needs Assessment
- Your mind, your say: young people's views of mental health services in Dorset | Healthwatch Data
- Pan-Dorset Active Lives Children and Young People Survey
- Small Area National Child Measurement Programme data
- Dorset Immunisations Data
Generally, most people experience good health, and our mortality rates are better than England. However not everyone has the same experience, and it is important to consider variation by geography and in deaths considered preventable.
In most instances, poor health is related to living with one (or more) of 6 major health conditions - as set out in the national major health strategy.
Here you'll find data related to major health conditions:
- Cancer data | Department of Health and Social Car
- Cardiovascular Disease Profile
- Diabetes Profile
- National General Practice Profiles - CVD Data - OHID (phe.org.uk)
- National General Practice Profiles - Stroke and TIA Data - OHID (phe.org.uk)
- National General Practice Profiles - Diabetes Data - OHID (phe.org.uk)
- Musculoskeletal health: local profiles - OHID (phe.org.uk
- Dementia Profile - OHID (phe.org.uk)
- Respiratory disease - OHID (phe.org.uk)
- NHS Health Check - OHID (phe.org.uk) - the NHS Health Check programme aims to help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and certain types of dementia
Generally, most people experience good health. Health-related behaviours are things we do that influence physical and mental wellbeing, which can have either beneficial or adverse effects. Our behaviours are part of our lifestyles which can be influenced by many things. This includes the environment we live in, societal and cultural norms and the influence of the networks around us.
Here you'll find data related to some key health related behaviour and lifestyle factors that can be risk factors for poor health outcomes and the development of non-communicable diseases:
Misuse of drugs is a significant cause of premature mortality, has impacts on the users physical and mental health, as well impacting on the people around the user and wider society.
Here you'll find data related to drugs misuse:
Sexual health covers advice and support around contraception, relationships, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and abortion.
Patterns of sexual behaviour and relationships have been changing, and many different factors influence safer sex behaviour. This includes personal beliefs, social norms, peer pressure, culture, misuse of drugs and alcohol, coercion and abuse.
Child Sexual exploitation is a form of sexual abuse where an individual or group take advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person into sexual activity. Sexual exploitation has long lasting consequences in all aspects of the child’s life including their physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Here you'll find data related to sexual health:
The 2014 survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing in England found that 1 in 6 people aged 16 and over had experienced symptoms of a common mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety, in the past week. People with higher wellbeing have lower rates of illness, recover more quickly and for longer, and generally have better physical and mental health.
Here you'll find data related to mental health and wellbeing:
- Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing - Dorset
- Your mind, your say: young people's views of mental health services in Dorset | Healthwatch Data
- Common Mental Health Disorders - Dorset
- Wellbeing – 100 Conversations Report
- Self-reported Wellbeing Data Indicators
- Community Mental Health and Wellbeing (2023)
- Dorset Suicide prevention profile
Thriving communities
Explore data about our communities and the wider influences on our health and wellbeing, like the environment, housing and education.
This section contains links to population profiles and key sources of population data:
There are several factors that affect how healthy people are. These are referred to as ‘wider determinants of health’ and include factors like money, education, environment, housing, and our social connections. These play a big role in shaping health outcomes, and addressing these contributes to reducing health inequalities.
Here you'll find data related to wider determinants of health:
Here you'll find data related to health inequalities:
The places in which we live, work and play have significant impact on our health and wellbeing. We should all have access to good housing, contact with nature, and be able to choose active and sustainable ways to travel. By enhancing the quality of built and natural environments and reducing inequalities we can create healthy places which support the wellbeing of people.
Here you'll find data related to healthy places:
Dorset Council is working with partners to offer support to residents impacted by the cost of living crisis. You can find out more about the help available from Dorset Council on our website, as well as government support via GOV.UK.
The ‘cost of living crisis’ refers to the fall in ‘real’ disposable incomes (adjusted for inflation and after taxes and benefits) that the UK has experienced since late 2021. In part, caused by high inflation outstripping wage and benefit increases. While all people are affected by rising prices, the impact has been felt most by those with low incomes who spend a greater share on energy and food.
Citizens Advice has published a blog summarising their key findings on how the cost of living crisis is evolving.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) cost of living latest insights provides the latest data and trends that explore changes in the cost of everyday items and how it is affecting people.
Here you'll find data related to cost of living:
Health and care
Explore data about services to protect health and insights into how we work together to support health and wellbeing.
Work around health protection aims to prevent, assess, and mitigate risks and threats to our health that arise from communicable diseases or exposure to environmental hazards
Here you'll find data related to health protection:
Understanding the views of residents and communities is an essential part of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. Actively listening to different experiences, concerns and priorities helps us to develop our understanding of health and wellbeing in a more holistic way than data, by itself, can provide.
This section links to engagement projects and tools that provide insight into community views on a variety of topics: