title: Effect of unexpected demolition announcement on health of residents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the impact of an unexpected announcement of the demolition of a housing estate on the health of the area's residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study of general practitioner consultation rates of the estate's residents after the announcement compared with those of other areas and with those of the previous year.
  
  
  METHODS
  General practices in Runcorn, Cheshire.
  
  
  METHODS
  17,000 patients on lists of the two group practices serving the estate and surrounding area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relative weekly consultation rates with general practitioners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean adjusted odds ratio for consultation was 1.12 (SD 0.12) when demolition was expected and 0.877 (0.05) when it was not (t = 5.94, p less than 0.001). The difference remained after the adjustment for the fall in the estate's population was removed (t = 3.7, p less than 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Announcement of the estate's demolition adversely affected residents' health.
authors.affiliation: St John's College, Cambridge.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D005194:Family Practice; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011634:Public Health; D011640:Public Policy