London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

London County Council 1955

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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were significant. In 1950-52, the infant mortality at 1-3 months was not correlated
with any of the indices, at 3-6 months it was significantly correlated with the percentage
in Social Classes IV and V and the number of persons per room but not with the other
index of overcrowding, while at 6-12 months only the percentage in Social Classes IV
and V gave a significant figure. For the post-neonatal period, all three indices were
significantly correlated with infant mortality.
This sub-division of infant mortality by ages shows, as expected, that the trend of
the neonatal mortality is at least partially responsible for the lack of correlation in
1950-52 between infant mortality and socio-economic conditions. The post-neonatal
rate remains significantly correlated with the three indices, though probably at a lower
level than in 1920-22 (the differences between the two periods are not significant,
except the percentage living more than two to a room).

Table: The relationship between the social indices and infant mortality may rest partly on the population of the boroughs. Most boroughs conform to the official description of a large town having a population of over50,000;they were divided arbitrarily into three groups* and the correlations found between the percentage living more than two to a room and infant mortality and neonatal mortality:

The relationship between the social indices and infant mortality may rest partly on the population of the boroughs. Most boroughs conform to the official description of a large town having a population of over50,000;they were divided arbitrarily into three groups* and the correlations found between the percentage living more than two to a room and infant mortality and neonatal mortality:

PopulationNo. of BoroughsPercentage living more than two to a room (1951) correlated with
Neonatal MortalityInfant Mortality
rPrP
120,000 and Over110.47>0.10.89<0.01
Over 60,000 and Under 120,00011-0.12>0.1-0.32>0.1
Under 60,0006-0.72>0.1-0.19>0.1

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In all three groups the neonatal mortality is insignificantly correlated with the overcrowding
index. Infant mortality is significantly correlated with this index in the very
large boroughs but not in the other two groups of smaller boroughs. No explanation
suggests itself to account for this difference. The infant deaths were rather few in the
third group of boroughs (27 and 37 in 1950-52 in the two smallest), but in the second
group the smallest borough had 69 deaths. Paucity of deaths cannot be an explanation.

Table: It is of some interest to see whether the relationship between the various indices of socio-economic status have changed during the period :

It is of some interest to see whether the relationship between the various indices of socio-economic status have changed during the period :

Correlations1920-22 r1930-32 r1950-52 r
Percentage Occupied Males in Social Classes IV and V andPersons per room0.7440.7390.757
Percentage living more than two to a room0.6580.7220.314
Percentage living more than two to a room and persons per room0.8990.9340.617

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The large significant correlation between the proportion of occupied males in
Social Classes IV and V and the number of persons per room has remained constant
over the 30 years. The relationship between the proportion of occupied males in Social
Classes IV and V and the percentage living more than two to a room had fallen below
the level of significance in 1950-52 although a large significant correlation was found
* The City of London has been omitted from all the correlations in this paper since it has a very small and unusually
constituted population.
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