A new Data Insight from the ADR Wales Early Years team explores the body mass index (BMI) and immunisation uptake amongst children in the Flying Start programme, in the City and County of Swansea.
Flying Start is the Welsh Government’s flagship early years programme for families with children under four years of age who live in some of the most disadvantaged areas of Wales. The programme aims to make a decisive difference to the life chances of children by mitigating the impact of poverty, which is linked to poor life outcomes in early childhood, including health outcomes.
This analysis compared health outcomes by different levels of engagement with Swansea Flying Start health visiting programme. While the research team did not find a statistically significant association between levels of engagement with Flying Start and core immunisation rates at age four, the data demonstrated widespread immunisation uptake overall. In addition, the percentages of children estimated to be overweight or obese were consistent with the general population.
This study represents the first analytical investigation into the health visiting service component of the Swansea Flying Start programme and its impact on health outcomes, specifically focusing on BMI thresholds and immunisation uptake.