2023-08-21 14:28:29
Rickets, which struck poor neighborhoods in Britain in the 19th century, is on the rise in Scotland, according to data obtained by The Times newspaper.
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A total of 442 cases of rickets – a condition linked to lack of sun exposure and malnutrition – were seen in Scotland in 2022, up from 354 in 2018, according to data from local health authorities.
“Generally preventable diseases such as these also illustrate that Scotland has the lowest life expectancy in the UK,” Chris Williams, co-president of the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland, told The Times.
The disease, which can lead to skeletal deformities during growth such as bow legs or knock knees, is linked to a lack of sun exposure and therefore vitamin D, which can also be found in foods such as fatty fish or eggs.
Compared to 442 cases in Scotland, 482 cases of rickets have been recorded in England, for a population ten times larger.
Rickets virtually disappeared in the UK more than half a century ago following campaigns to improve diets and sun exposure.
In Scotland, most cases have been recorded around Glasgow, one of the poorest areas of the province, with a third of children living in poverty according to the latest studies.
According to data from 2019, men living in the poorest areas of Glasgow live an average of 15 years less than those living in the wealthiest areas.
Some health professionals suggest that increased ethnic diversity in Glasgow – with certain skin types reducing vitamin D production – the development of more sedentary activities and poor diet may explain the resurgence of the disease.
Other diseases, such as tuberculosis or scarlet fever, are also on the rise in Scotland, reports the Times.
These diseases are “diseases of poverty and are common in parts of the world where people are poor,” says a scientist interviewed by The Times.
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