Latest news with #HealthBehaviourinSchool-agedChildren
The Journal
5 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
Decrease in alcohol, cigarette and cannabis use among school-aged children in Ireland
THERE HAVE BEEN reductions in alcohol, cannabis and cigarette use among school-aged children over the past 25 years, but 'concerning' trends regarding mental health issues. The findings are contained in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Trends Report covering the period of 1998 to 2022. The survey and analyses, contain data from over 70,000 children aged between 10 and 17 across Ireland, were carried out by the University of Galway's Health Promotion Research Centre. While it found significant reductions in substance use and improvements in certain health behaviours, there has also been a 'worrying decline in mental health and increased pressure related to schoolwork'. Cigarettes and alcohol There was a dramatic decrease in the number of children aged 10-17 who reported bring current cigarette smokers, from 22.6% in 1998 to just 4.7% in 2022. There was also a sharp decrease in the number of children in this cohort who reported having been 'really drunk' before, down from 33% in 1998 to 17.8%. Of those aged 15-17, 24.8% reported having had their first alcoholic drink aged 13 or younger, down from 42.1% in 1998. There was also a moderate decrease in the number of children who reported cannabis use over the previous 12 months, down from 12.3% in 1998 to 6.5% in 2022. Healthier habits among children can be seen elsewhere also, with a dramatic decrease in the number of children drinking soft drinks on a daily basis, down from 37.4% in 1998 to just 6.6% in 2022. Fruit consumption is also up, as is the rate of tooth brushing, while there has been a large increase in children reporting always wearing a seatbelt, up from 41% in 1998 to 81.2% in 2022. Sexual and mental health And while there's been a decline in reported sexual activity, fewer young people report using a condom. Of those aged 15-17, 19.6% reported that they have had sex, down from 25.5% in 1998. But when asked if they or their partner used a condom the last time they had sex, only 55.2% said this was the case, down from 78% in 1998. Meanwhile, mental health indicators have worsened, with more young people reporting feeling low, fewer reporting high life satisfaction and fewer reporting feeling happy with their lives. There was a slight decrease in the number of children who rated their mental health as excellent, down from 28.2% in 2002 to 25.5% in 2022, and a similar decrease in children reporting that they are happy with life at present, down from 88.1% to 78.5%. There was a sharper decrease in the number of children reporting high life satisfaction, down from 76% in 2002 to 61.6% in 2022. Advertisement However, there was a very large increase in the number of children who reported feeling low almost every week, from 23% in 1998 to 46.3% in 2022. Home and school life The report found there was an overall increase in the proportion of children who find it easy to talk to their mother and father. Elsewhere, there was an overall decrease in the number of children who reported living with both parents. While there was a slight increase in the number of children who reported finding it easy to talk to their mother about things that really bother them, there was a much more dramatic increase when it came to communication with fathers. Some 81.9% found it easy to talk to their mothers about things that really bother them, up from 73% in 1998, but when it came to fathers, this figure jumped from 47.4% in 1998 to 70.2% in 2022. Meanwhile, some 77.9% report that both their mother and father live in the main home, down from 90.8% in 1998. When it came to school, there was a moderate increase in the numbers who feel pressured by school work, up from 32.9% in 1998 to 47.8%. And while there was a decrease in the number of children who have bullied others, there's been an increased in the number who have been bullied themselves. In 1998, 21.5% of children aged 10-17 reported having bullied others at school in recent months, which fell to 12.8% in 2022. However, there was a small increase in those reporting having been bullied in recent months, rising from 24.6% in 1998 to 28.6% in 2022. 'Time to support teachers and parents' Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, Minister of State at the Department of Health, said the report will 'serve as a foundation for future policy and programme development'. She noted that it highlights positive trends, such as the reductions in tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use, but also the 'more concerning ones, such as many of the indicators relating to mental health and the pressures of schoolwork'. Meanwhile, Professor Saoirse Nic Gabhainn, Principal Investigator at the Health Promotion Research Centre at University of Galway, remarked that the 'pressures children feel from school and society are increasing'. 'Now is the time for our society to support teachers and parents in schools and communities to protect and promote youth well-being,' she added. The 2022 HBSC study comprised of a nationally representative sample of 8,061 pupils aged 10-17 years from 191 primary and post-primary schools across Ireland. It is a school-based survey, with data collected through self-completion questionnaires administered by teachers in the classroom. The researchers said that in general, Irish children fare well compared to their international peers and that there are particularly positive trends such as increased fruit consumption and communication with fathers. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... 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RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Number of schoolchildren feeling low doubles over 25 years
Fewer Irish children are reporting high life satisfaction and feeling happy with their lives, compared to a study measuring the same indicators among their counterparts in 1998. The proportion of school-going children who said they regularly feel low (46.3%) has doubled over a period of 25 years. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Trends Report 1998-2022 revealed that the youth of today also feel more pressured by schoolwork compared to in 1998. The report was led by researcher Louise Lunney in collaboration with the HBSC research team at the Health Promotion Research Centre at University of Galway. The HBSC survey is carried out every four years in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. In 2022, 45 countries and regions participated. In Ireland, the report brings together data from over 70,000 children on their health behaviours, health outcomes and the social contexts of children's lives. Some of the key changes over the 25 years include: The proportions of children smoking, drinking and using cannabis have reduced very significantly. Smoking rates reduced from 23% to 5%, the numbers reporting ever being really drunk reduced from 33% to 18%, and cannabis use in the previous 12 months reduced from 12% to 7%. There has been an increase in the number of children consuming fruit daily from 18% to 25%, while daily soft drink consumption has reduced from 37% to 7%. There was an increase in the number of children feeling able to talk to their mother and father about things that bother them – mother from 73% to 82%, and father from 47% to 70%. The number of children reporting that they had good places to socialise locally has risen from 45% to 63%. There were also significant increases in the proportions of children using seatbelts from 41% to 81% and regularly brushing their teeth from 58% to 73%. However, the report revealed that despite an overall decline in reported sexual activity, with the proportion of 15-17-year-olds reporting ever having sex has fallen from 26% to 20%. Fewer young people - 55.2% in 2022, down from 78.0% in 2010 - report using a condom during last sexual intercourse. Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, said the results are used to inform policy development. "It is particularly encouraging to see improvements in areas such as reduced smoking, alcohol use and cannabis use. We continue to develop robust policies to further protect young people from these harms. "Under our Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act we banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, a measure which aims to reduce young people's use of these products and ultimately to further reduce smoking rates," said Ms Murnane O'Connor. "Collectively, these policies provide a strong foundation upon which families, schools and communities can work together to create healthier environments in which our young people can thrive." The HBSC mental health-related results showed decreases in the number of children reporting bullying others from 22% to 13%, while the number reporting being bullied has increased from 25% to 29%. There were also increases in the number of children reporting experiencing headaches and sleep disturbances. And a decrease in the proportion of children being happy with life at present from 88% to 79% and high life satisfaction, from 76% to 62%, with an increase in those reporting feeling low on a weekly basis from 23% to 46%. Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Ellen Crushell said: "Overall, the HBSC report shows welcome increases in the proportions of young people engaging in healthy behaviours, creating a generational improvement that will impact on overall population health. The mental health budget has been increasing year on year, reaching just under €1.5 billion in 2025." Meanwhile, Principal Investigator of HBSC Ireland at the University of Galway, Professor Saoirse Nic Gabhainn said: "A study like HBSC, that tracks trends in health behaviours, outcomes and social context of children's lives over such a long period is a huge resource to anyone interested in children's lives." Ms Nic Gabhainn added that while many indicators have improved over time, the pressures that children feel from school and society are increasing. "Now is the time for our society to support teachers and parents in schools and communities to protect and promote youth well-being."
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Number of children feeling 'low' doubles over 25 years
Fewer Irish children are reporting high life satisfaction and feeling happy with their lives, compared to a study measuring the same indicators among their counterparts in 1998. The proportion of school-going children who said they regularly feel low (46.3%) has doubled over a period of 25 years. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Trends Report 1998-2022 revealed that the youth of today also feel more pressured by schoolwork compared to in 1998. The report was led by researcher Louise Lunney in collaboration with the HBSC research team at the Health Promotion Research Centre at University of Galway. The HBSC survey is carried out every four years in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. In 2022, 45 countries and regions participated. In Ireland, the report brings together data from over 70,000 children on their health behaviours, health outcomes and the social contexts of children's lives. Some of the key changes over the 25 years include: The proportions of children smoking, drinking and using cannabis have reduced very significantly. Smoking rates reduced from 23% to 5%, the numbers reporting ever being really drunk reduced from 33% to 18%, and cannabis use in the previous 12 months reduced from 12% to 7%. There has been an increase in the number of children consuming fruit daily from 18% to 25%, while daily soft drink consumption has reduced from 37% to 7%. There was an increase in the number of children feeling able to talk to their mother and father about things that bother them – mother from 73% to 82%, and father from 47% to 70%. The number of children reporting that they had good places to socialise locally has risen from 45% to 63%. There were also significant increases in the proportions of children using seatbelts from 41% to 81% and regularly brushing their teeth from 58% to 73%. However, the report revealed that despite an overall decline in reported sexual activity, with the proportion of 15-17-year-olds reporting ever having sex has fallen from 26% to 20%. Fewer young people - 55.2% in 2022, down from 78.0% in 2010 - report using a condom during last sexual intercourse. Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, said the results are used to inform policy development. "It is particularly encouraging to see improvements in areas such as reduced smoking, alcohol use and cannabis use. We continue to develop robust policies to further protect young people from these harms. "Under our Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act we banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, a measure which aims to reduce young people's use of these products and ultimately to further reduce smoking rates," said Ms Murnane O'Connor. "Collectively, these policies provide a strong foundation upon which families, schools and communities can work together to create healthier environments in which our young people can thrive." The HBSC mental health-related results showed decreases in the number of children reporting bullying others from 22% to 13%, while the number reporting being bullied has increased from 25% to 29%. There were also increases in the number of children reporting experiencing headaches and sleep disturbances. And a decrease in the proportion of children being happy with life at present from 88% to 79% and high life satisfaction, from 76% to 62%, with an increase in those reporting feeling low on a weekly basis from 23% to 46%. Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Ellen Crushell said: "Overall, the HBSC report shows welcome increases in the proportions of young people engaging in healthy behaviours, creating a generational improvement that will impact on overall population health. The mental health budget has been increasing year on year, reaching just under €1.5 billion in 2025." Meanwhile, Principal Investigator of HBSC Ireland at the University of Galway, Professor Saoirse Nic Gabhainn said: "A study like HBSC, that tracks trends in health behaviours, outcomes and social context of children's lives over such a long period is a huge resource to anyone interested in children's lives." Ms Nic Gabhainn added that while many indicators have improved over time, the pressures that children feel from school and society are increasing. "Now is the time for our society to support teachers and parents in schools and communities to protect and promote youth well-being."
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Irish teens drinking and smoking less — but mental health concerns continue to rise
Teenagers in Ireland are smoking and drinking less than their peers did in 1998, but are struggling more with their mental health, according to an in-depth new report. More than 8,000 pupils from 191 schools — including fifth and sixth class in primary schools and up to fifth year in secondary — took part in the study. They answered questions about their mental health, diet, smoking and drinking habits, sexual behaviour, and relationships with parents. The report, titled Trends in Health Behaviours, Outcomes and Contexts: 1998–2022, has been conducted regularly since the late 1990s. It found a significant increase in the number of children who reported feeling low once a week or more over the previous six months. Other findings include a notable decline in tobacco use among children, as well as a drop in the number who reported having been drunk or having used cannabis in the past year. There was also a decrease in the proportion of young people aged 15–17 who said they had their first alcoholic drink at age 13 or younger. However, the study also identified a slight increase in the number of children trying to lose weight, either through dieting or other methods. Poverty was a recurring issue, highlighted by several indicators. Overall, 18.3% of children aged 10–17 reported going to school or bed hungry because there was not enough food at home—a slight increase from 2002, and more prevalent among girls. The rise in food insecurity was most noticeable among younger children and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. In 2022, fewer children reported spending evenings out with friends—just 28%, compared to 38% in 1998. This decline was more pronounced in lower-income groups. The number of children drinking soft drinks daily dropped sharply from 37.4% in 2002 to just 6.6% in 2022. Daily fruit consumption remained largely unchanged, while the percentage of children engaging in vigorous exercise declined slightly, from 52.6% to 50.3%. There was also a small decrease in the proportion of 15–17 year olds who reported having had sexual intercourse. However, condom use among this group dropped significantly, from 78% in 2010 to just 58% in 2022. The study was launched on Wednesday by Minister of State at the Department of Health, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor. She welcomed the report, saying it provides 'vital information regarding the health of our children, highlighting both positive trends, such as the reductions in tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use since 1998, but also the more concerning ones, such as many of the indicators relating to mental health and the pressures of schoolwork.' The research was led by Louise Lunney, in collaboration with the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) research team at the Health Promotion Research Centre at the University of Galway. Professor Saoirse Nic Gabhainn, Principal Investigator at the Centre, said over 70,000 children have participated in the surveys since 1998. 'While many indicators have improved over time, the pressures that children feel from school and society are increasing,' she warned. 'Now is the time for our society to support teachers and parents in schools and communities to protect and promote youth well-being.' Read More CHI cites legal advice in withholding report on children's care delays
