Around 3,500 people across Coventry will be interviewed as part of the largest health survey ever undertaken in the city to look at the quality of life.

Results from the survey are expected in early 2010 and will be analysed by a team of researchers at the University of Warwick. The survey will collect residents' views on their own local issues, including community involvement, housing and the environment, health and wellbeing, community safety and transport.

For the first time, the Coventry Household Survey will also gather information to assess physical and mental well-being, as well as any potential health or lifestyle inequalities. The survey is funded by NHS Coventry and Coventry City Council and is in its sixth year. This year will be the first time the survey has included the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS).

Interviewers will be conducting face-to-face household interviews for seven weeks during November and December this year.

Dr Oscar Franco, Assistant Clinical Professor in Public Health, is leading the survey analysis at the University's Warwick Medical School. He said: "This will be the first time that the population of Coventry will be investigated in this scale and will provide very valuable data. We are interested to discover the current health state of the population and potential health, lifestyle and well-being inequalities by gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity etc."

"This research has been commissioned by the Coventry Partnership to ensure that actions and resources of all public agencies working in Coventry are focused on improving the things that local people say are most important. to them"

The interviews are being carried out by M•E•L Research, Birmingham.

Notes to editors:

Kelly Parkes-Harrison, Communications Officer, University of Warwick, k.e.parkes@warwick.ac.uk, 02476 150483, 07824 540863

WEMWBS is a 14 point scale in which individuals respond to questions about their thoughts and feelings. Researchers are then able to measure an individual's positive mental wellbeing.

The Coventry Partnership brings together senior representatives from the community sector, private sector, public sector and voluntary sector to work together towards the vision for Coventry to be a growing, accessible city where people choose to live, work and be educated and where businesses choose to invest.