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Into the Archive - The Isle of Wight

14 October 2025

Population health is a way to understand health outcomes and disparities in a group of people. It examines how social, economic, and environmental factors impact health and identifies interventions or policies to improve health for all. Here at King’s, experts have been studying population health for over half a century. ‘Into the Archive’ aims to amplify experts, past and present, at King’s who have worked to revolutionise health and healthcare.

The Isle of Wight studies by “the father of child psychiatry” Professor Sir Michael Rutter

The Isle of Wight studies started in 1964 to investigate physical and psychological wellbeing, and educational achievement of children aged 9-11 living in the Isle of Wight.

Researchers looked at how the children behave in and out of school, including reading abilities and other childhood difficulties. They also considered the sociodemographic background of their families.

The studies found that mental health problems in childhood often overlapped with educational difficulties. There was also overlap between conduct and emotional disorders, and many of the risk factors stem from children’s family background.

Follow-up studies looked at the same children in adolescence and replicated the initial study in inner London to compare the effect of urban living.

“The studies were seminal in establishing the study of child mental health in a specific population. They found that health-promoting experiences are crucial for children, especially in those overcoming adversity. The findings proposed, for the first time, that schooling quality helped shape development, which led to educational policy for school reform. The key to King’s success in population health work is our close collaboration and partnership with the public, the NHS, and the local authorities.”– Professor Matthew Hotopf CBE, Executive Dean of Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and Co-director of King’s Population Health Institute