Mind the health gap:
why do some people enjoy better health than others?
How do you know if poor health is just bad luck, genetic fate or a result of external factors?
Mind the health gap:
why do some people enjoy better health than others?
How do you know if poor health is just bad luck, genetic fate or a result of external factors?
King’s has a rich legacy in the field of population health, an area of study which seeks to answer the question of why some groups of people have worse health outcomes than others. And what we can do to improve those outcomes.
Population health is not to be confused with public health.
Population health focuses on specifically defined communities and uncovering evidence that sheds light on the complex underlying factors that influence their health. For example, why is there a higher rate of breast cancer among Black women? It then takes the insights learned and seeks to find targeted and effective solutions.
Public health focuses on implementing broader schemes to improve the health of society as a whole. For example, encouraging people to exercise more, or eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
For more than half a decade, King’s has delivered seminal population health studies that have shaped education, healthcare and our fundamental approach to understanding what influences people’s health.
Growing up well – nature and nurture
Some aspects of our lifelong health are determined before we’re even born.
For some, it is written in our genetic code, but it can also be linked to our mother’s experiences during pregnancy. Similarly, a person’s environment and experiences as they grow up play a huge role.
While these statements may sound obvious today, there was a time when these acknowledged truths were not part of our understanding of health. King’s research played a pivotal role in changing that.
Growing up well – nature and nurture
Some aspects of our lifelong health are determined before we’re even born.
For some, it is written in our genetic code, but it can also be linked to our mother’s experiences during pregnancy. Similarly, a person’s environment and experiences as they grow up play a huge role.
While these statements may sound obvious today, there was a time when these acknowledged truths were not part of our understanding of health. King’s research played a pivotal role in changing that.
A living laboratory on the Isle of Wight
In the 1960s, researchers at the then Institute of Psychiatry, which later joined King’s, began one of the first studies to look at the nature and origins of childhood disorders in a specific group, including how risks and problems progress throughout childhood.
They followed a group of children aged 9–11 living on the Isle of Wight. They looked at how the children were behaving in and out of school, noting any difficulties they might be having, such as with reading or their mental health.
The team then repeated the studies in inner London, asking – are island kids or city kids better off?
They found that emotional, behavioural and educational difficulties – including mental health conditions – were much more common in the inner city than on the Isle of Wight, but the factors that put children at risk were very similar. These included family discord, social disadvantage and certain school characteristics.
In the 1960s, researchers at the then Institute of Psychiatry, which later joined King’s, began one of the first studies to look at the nature and origins of childhood disorders in a specific group, including how risks and problems progress throughout childhood.
They followed a group of children aged 9–11 living on the Isle of Wight. They looked at how the children were behaving in and out of school, noting any difficulties they might be having, such as with reading or their mental health.
The team then repeated the studies in inner London, asking – are island kids or city kids better off?
They found that emotional, behavioural and educational difficulties – including mental health conditions – were much more common in the inner city than on the Isle of Wight, but the factors that put children at risk were very similar. These included family discord, social disadvantage and certain school characteristics.
Decades later, the team reconnected with participants in their mid-40s and found that their risk of severe mental ill health as adults was still directly related to experiences in their childhood.
These studies were among the first to definitively show that your day-to-day experiences as a child can have a lifelong impact on health and wellbeing. They signalled a fundamental shift in how we understood the influence of environment on health, as well as making a real difference to educational policy, which children today still benefit from.
Decades later, the team reconnected with participants in their mid-40s and found that their risk of severe mental ill health as adults was still directly related to experiences in their childhood.
These studies were among the first to definitively show that your day-to-day experiences as a child can have a lifelong impact on health and wellbeing. They signalled a fundamental shift in how we understood the influence of environment on health, as well as making a real difference to educational policy, which children today still benefit from.
Uncovering inequalities
The practice of studying the outcomes of different groups has become foundational to our understanding health of inequalities. Through targeted population health research, King’s experts are trying to spot, understand and address inequal outcomes in some of the world’s most life-threatening illnesses.
Stroke – the radical divide between rich and poor
For two decades, King’s has been investigating the prevalence, cause and outcomes of stroke in London. The study showed that people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are not only significantly more likely to experience a stroke, but also to receive worse care and end up with poorer quality of life if they survive. The poorest Londoners have their first stroke an average of seven years earlier than their wealthiest counterparts.
Policy experts are taking notice of this research and its evidence of the need to find ways to use data to improve outcomes for people who experience stroke. Recommendations include collecting data on long-term outcomes; improving how data is collected; managed and shared across health providers; and better training for health professionals to use data.
The study has also expanded to improve stroke outcomes in low- and middle-income countries around the world, where as many as 86% of all stroke-related deaths occur.
A cancer more common in Black women
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) makes up 15% of all breast cancer cases and is one of the most aggressive forms.
After a US study suggested that TNBC was more common in people of some ethnicities than others, King’s researchers replicated the study in London, confirming the findings. Not only did the study reveal higher prevalence among Black women, but also a lower survival rate.
This led to a national study that found that there were several factors contributing to the poor survival rate for Black women. Some are unavoidable, such as genetics and the tumour’s biology. But some highlight structural health inequities and socioeconomic factors that could be addressed, including lower uptake of breast screening in Black women, leading to later-stage diagnosis.
Understanding these factors allows us to better address them. To tackle the challenge of low uptake of screenings, King’s launched an innovative project that taps into the power of community spaces and informal relationships.
Uncovering inequalities
The practice of studying the outcomes of different groups has become foundational to our understanding of health inequalities. Through targeted population health research, King’s experts are trying to spot, understand and address inequal outcomes in some of the world’s most life-threatening illnesses.
Stroke – the radical divide between rich and poor
For two decades, King’s has been investigating the prevalence, cause and outcomes of stroke in London. The study showed that people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are not only significantly more likely to experience a stroke, but also to receive worse care and end up with poorer quality of life if they survive. The poorest Londoners have their first stroke an average of seven years earlier than their wealthiest counterparts.
Policy experts are taking notice of this research and its evidence of the need to find ways to use data to improve outcomes for people who experience stroke. Recommendations include collecting data on long-term outcomes; improving how data is collected; managed and shared across health providers; and better training for health professionals to use data.
The study has also expanded to improve stroke outcomes in low- and middle-income countries around the world, where as many as 86% of all stroke-related deaths occur.
A cancer more common in Black women
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) makes up 15% of all breast cancer cases and is one of the most aggressive forms.
After a US study suggested that TNBC was more common in people of some ethnicities than others, King’s researchers replicated the study in London, confirming the findings. Not only did the study reveal higher prevalence among Black women, but also a lower survival rate.
This led to a national study that found that there were several factors contributing to the poor survival rate for Black women. Some are unavoidable, such as genetics and the tumour’s biology. But some highlight structural health inequities and socioeconomic factors that could be addressed, including lower uptake of breast screening in Black women, leading to later-stage diagnosis.
Understanding these factors allows us to better address them. To tackle the challenge of low uptake of screenings, King’s launched an innovative project that taps into the power of community spaces and informal relationships.
BELONG provides special beauty lounges where trained staff chat with their customers about health checks and resources to support prevention of breast cancer and also of heart disease, which Black women are at greater risk of developing.
The information customers share is fed into an NHS online consultation app, which is then able to recommend culturally appropriate self-care resources on healthy eating, active living and more. BELONG illustrates the importance of a holistic approach to population health – spanning not only the biological and medical, but the social and cultural, too.
Uniquely positioned to learn
Uniquely positioned to learn
The BELONG initiative illustrates one of the reasons King’s is so well positioned to lead successful population health studies – our location.
150 languages are spoken in Lambeth alone.
21–45% of premature deaths in our boroughs are linked to socioeconomic inequalities.
Parts of Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark rank amongst the 15% most deprived local authorities in the country.
Rates of smoking, and alcohol-related hospital admissions are higher in our boroughs than the national and London averages.
One in five children in our boroughs live in low-income homes.
Our campus is spread across South East London – one of the most culturally rich and diverse populations in the country. This embeds us in a community that not only represents a wide range of people demographically, but also has diverse experiences of health and care – the good and the bad.
Thanks to the diversity of our community, our learnings have relevance way beyond London, too. By providing a ‘living laboratory’ that represents people from all walks of life, our research finds solutions that will work around the globe, from before birth until the end of life.
Our next 50 years
King’s already leads the world in the disciplines that will shape this next chapter of population health impact. We build collaborative projects across faculties and disciplines, recognising that the health of a single community is never as simple as a single perspective, cause or solution. To drive this forward, we’ve launched the King’s Population Health Institute, uniting the collective power of research, expertise and resources from across the university.
Find out more about our new Population Health Institute and their landmark EMBRACE study that is using human-AI partnership to improve outcomes for women and babies by better understanding the factors affecting their health.
Our next 50 years
King’s already leads the world in the disciplines that will shape this next chapter of population health impact. We build collaborative projects across faculties and disciplines, recognising that the health of a single community is never as simple as a single perspective, cause or solution. To drive this forward, we’ve launched the King’s Population Health Institute, uniting the collective power of research, expertise and resources from across the university.
Find out more about our new Population Health Institute and their landmark EMBRACE study that is using human-AI to improve outcomes for women and babies by better understanding the factors affecting their health.
EDITORIAL TEAM
Teresa Richards
Ellie Stone
WRITERS
Kelly Archer
Paul Brooks
Hermione Cameron
Kate Denereaz
Kate Hazlehurst
Joely Langston
DESIGN
Principal design by Jonathan Vickers
Additional design by Harpoon Productions and Carly Yung
Photography by Nathan Clarke and David Tett
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
JH Norris
ALUMNI & EDITORIAL OFFICE
King’s College London
57 Waterloo Road,
London,
SE1 8WA
© King’s College London 2025
InTouch is published by the University’s Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Office. The opinions expressed in it are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the University.
If you have a story for our Spring 2026 issue, email us at forever@kcl.ac.uk
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Accessibility Statement
EDITORIAL TEAM
Teresa Richards
Ellie Stone
WRITERS
Kelly Archer
Paul Brooks
Hermione Cameron
Kate Denereaz
Kate Hazlehurst
Joely Langston
DESIGN
Principal design by Jonathan Vickers
Additional design by Harpoon Productions and Carly Yung
Photography by Nathan Clarke and David Tett
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
JH Norris
ALUMNI & EDITORIAL OFFICE
King’s College London
57 Waterloo Road,
London,
SE1 8WA
InTouch is published by the University’s Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Office. The opinions expressed in it are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the University.
If you have a story for our Spring 2026 issue, email us at forever@kcl.ac.uk
© King’s College London 2025
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Accessibility Statement
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