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 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Age Group | Number of pupils inspected | Parent present % | Care committee representatives present at inspection % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or less | 7,939 | 90.9 | 82.3 |
| 5 | 28,558 | 87.7 | 94.6 |
| 6 | 8,314 | 79.1 | 95.8 |
| 7 | 9,356 | 71.8 | 94.4 |
| 8 | 20,684 | 70.1 | 96.4 |
| 9 | 4,204 | 59.2 | 96.3 |
| 10 | 2,078 | 51.9 | 95.2 |
| 11 | 10,096 | 37.7 | 75.8 |
| 12 | 20,148 | 31.8 | 82.9 |
| 13 | 6,103 | 24.7 | 79.9 |
| 14 | 10,277 | 10.3 | 82.1 |
| 15 and over | 35,841 | 8.5 | 78.8 |
Physical condition of pupils
The percentage of pupils whose condition was classified as satisfactory and unsatisfactory
and the percentage who were noted as requiring treatment or observation on
account of nutrition during 1961 are set out below, with similar figures for the four preceding
years. This table suggests a continuous improvement over the five years, but the steadying
of the percentage noted with a nutrition defect may mean that the end of this improvement
is near.
Physical condition Nutrition defect noted for
Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Treatment Observation
% % % %
1957 97.3 2.7 0.6 0.6
1958 98.1 1.9 0.5 0.6
1959 98.8 1.2 0.2 0.5
1960 99.0 1.0 0.2 0.5
1961 99.2 0.8 0.2 0.4
As indicated in my report for 1959, the newly introduced basis of tabulation by years
of birth permits the comparison of samples of children of the same age group and is
analogous to a 'follow-up' survey. The last three years' figures are:
| Year of birth | Year of examination | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | |
| 1944 | 0.6 | — | — |
| 1945 | 0.9 | 0.4 | — |
| 1946 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| 1947 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| 1948 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| 1949 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| 1950 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 0.6 |
| 1951 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| 1952 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| 1953 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 |
| 1954 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| 1955 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.8 |
| 1956 | — | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| 1957 and later | — | — | 0.8 |