Citizens of More Than 100 Communities Diagnose the Health of Their Neighbourhoods.

News Editors/Health/Medical Writers

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2003

A new study demonstrates marked differences in the levels of satisfaction of Europeans with their neighbourhoods. People living in Belgium, France, Ireland, Germany and the UK claim to be more satisfied with the overall quality of their communities than their counterparts in Greece, Italy, and Spain. Norwegians also consistently reported satisfaction levels below the European average despite having the highest GDP per capita of all countries surveyed.

The Pfizer Healthy Neighbourhood Survey, conducted by NFO Direct Services between June and August 2003, asked over 11,200 people from 112 urban and rural areas in nine European countries to rate the importance of 25 factors relating to environment, safety, local amenities, community support and health services. Respondents were then asked to rate their levels of satisfaction with each of these factors in their own communities.

Results showed that 69% of Irish people are satisfied that their community provides them with the elements they believe constitute a 'healthy neighbourhood', closely followed by the British and French (66%), the Belgians (65%), and the Germans (64%). Spain and Norway reported significantly lower satisfaction levels of 57% and 55%, respectively, while only 54% of Italians and 46% of Greeks believe their communities have what it takes to be a healthy neighbourhood. With a 68% satisfaction rating among its inhabitants, Dublin topped the list of European capitals surveyed, followed by London (65%) and Paris (63%).

Announcing the results at the Healthy Ageing Summit in London, Dr. Jack Watters, Vice President, Medical & Regulatory Affairs, Pfizer, Europe said "We conducted the Pfizer Healthy Neighbourhood Survey because of a growing awareness that the health drivers for Europe's ageing population are far more complex than lifestyle and medical intervention alone. The results show that all Europeans have similar priorities for their neighbourhoods, attaching the most importance to safety in the home, quality healthcare and a clean environment. However, not all countries, cities, and regions are providing these to the satisfaction of residents. Sharing best practice is key to addressing those issues, as it is to eradicating inequalities in all aspects of healthcare."

Further data shows that when results are grouped together by category, different countries report highest satisfaction. The Germans are more satisfied with their local environment than any other Europeans, reporting 70% satisfaction. Belgians registered Europe's highest levels of satisfaction with their local health services at 70%, and also reported most contentment with everyday amenities at 65%. The Irish are most satisfied with community support at 77% and community safety at 74%.

"Successes over the last century in increasing life expectancy have created a new set of health challenges," said Baroness Sally Greengross, Executive Chair of the International Longevity Centre. "The immediate neighbourhood in which you live contributes considerably to your personal health - mentally, emotionally, and physically. Therefore, creating communities that facilitate healthy living must be a priority for all those seeking to address the challenge of Europe's ageing population and the related health and social issues."

The research formed the basis of a 'blueprint' for a healthy neighbourhood created at the Summit by a panel of experts in healthcare, ageing, environment and environmental psychology. When completed, the blueprint will be shared with policy makers and social planners across Europe.

"This blueprint will provide valuable data to enable local and central policy makers to shape neighbourhoods so that they positively impact the health of residents," concluded Greengross.

Notes to Editors: Pfizer Healthy Neighbourhood Awards 2003 and Key Survey Results

Belgium - Antwerpen was winner of Best Rural Area and Best City in Belgium awards. Overall, respondents from the rural areas outside of Antwerpen are the most satisfied in Europe with the neighbourhoods in which they live, while residents from Antwerpen city are the most satisfied urban dwellers in Europe.

France - Nantes was winner of Best City in France award. The region of Limousin is the area with highest French satisfaction. The top city of Nantes was closely followed by Grenoble. The French capital, Paris is the 5th ranked city in France.

Germany - Munich was winner of Best City in Germany award. The rural areas around the town of Illertissen top the German rankings. The top city in Germany is Munich followed by Stuttgart and then Dortmund. Berlin is second lowest ranked city in Germany, beating only Frankfurt.

Greece - Ermoupolis was winner of Best City in Greece award. Its residents are 27% more satisfied with the 25 factors than the Greek average.

Ireland - Winner of Best Country in Europe award, Dublin won best capital city in Europe award, Cork won Best City in Ireland award. While Cork is the most satisfied place for both rural and urban residents, rural County Cork leads the Irish rankings for rural satisfaction.

Italy - Bologna was winner of Best City in Italy award. The Italian capital, Rome is the 7th ranked city in Italy, whilst financial centre Milan was 4th.

Norway - Bergen was winner of Best City in Norway award. The rural areas surrounding Oslo top the Norwegian rankings. However, the best Norwegian city is Bergen.

Spain - Bilbao was winner of Best City in Spain award. Residents of Bilbao are most satisfied, closely followed by the rural areas surrounding Zaragoza and Bilbao. Madrid is the third lowest ranked city in Spain, beating only Malaga and Seville.

UK - Belfast was winner of Best City in the UK award. Residents of rural Lothian (excluding Edinburgh) are the most satisfied across the UK, closely followed by the rural areas around Belfast. The city of Belfast itself was the UK's best city, followed by Cardiff and Glasgow. Residents of Birmingham led the English charge as the fifth best UK city.

Urban/Rural - Across Europe the pattern is very similar. Rural areas score more highly on safety & security and environmental factors, but in contrast they fair much worse on everyday services. Across the whole survey rural areas tend to score a little higher than their urban counterparts, and this pattern was repeated everywhere. The biggest difference is in France where the overall rural satisfaction is 70% compared to an urban average of 62%.

Notes to Editors: Pfizer and Healthy Ageing

The Healthy Neighbourhood research builds on the Pfizer Healthy Ageing Survey, presented at the "Silver Summit" in Rome last October, which revealed that Europe's over-55 population felt isolated, abandoned and undervalued, and that Europe needed to manage demographic change in a more inclusive way.

In response, the Pfizer Healthy Ageing Advocacy Forum was formed, comprising advocacy groups from 10 European countries working with Pfizer to identify and pilot practical solutions to the issues arising from an ageing population.

Another contribution to the debate on ageing is the publication in June 2003 of the "Pfizer Health Outcomes Report on Europe's Ageing Population." This document provides comparative baseline health indicator data from 14 countries to encourage discussion on improving European healthcare standards and reducing inequalities in life expectancy and quality of life.

The Healthy Neighbourhood research is the latest step in Pfizer's ongoing commitment to work together with all concerned parties to help develop policies and practices that reduce health inequalities and enable people to reap the rewards of increased longevity at every stage of life.