Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EP-Predict score?

This is a risk score given by an evidence-based model which uses a range of factors such as age, sex, ethnicity and existing medical conditions to predict risk of developing various consitions in the next one to ten years.

What is the Townsend score, what does it measure and why was it used?

Risk is associated with socio-economic status such that people from deprived areas have higher risks. The use of equations that do not include a measure of socio-economic status may exacerbate health inequalities, i.e. the difference between rich and poor.
The Townsend score is a measure of material deprivation based on the area where a person lives and obtained using their postcode. It includes four variables obtained from census data: unemployment (lack of material resources and insecurity), overcrowding (material living conditions), lack of owner-occupied accommodation (a proxy indicator of wealth) and lack of car ownership (a proxy indicator of income).
This score is considered the best indicator of material deprivation currently available and has been widely used in medical research including a range of studies conducted on the QResearch database.

What is body mass index and how is it measured?

Body mass index is a number calculated from a person's height and weight. It is their weight in kilograms divided by their height in metres squared.
Conventionally a person is considered to be obese if they have a body mass index over 30 kg/m2.

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