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Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy publishes the Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Trends Report

The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, has today launched the Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Trends in Health Behaviours, Outcomes and Contexts: 1998-2022 Report.

HBSC is an international research study conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and carried out by the Health Promotion Research Centre at the University of Galway on behalf of the Department of Health. Topics include general health, smoking, use of alcohol and other substances, food and dietary behaviour, exercise and physical activity, self-care, injuries, bullying and sexual health behaviours.

The results are used to inform policy development.

This latest report identifies a number of trends in the health and wellbeing of children in Ireland between 1998 and 2022.

Changes from 1998 to 2022 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 (18% to 25%) and daily soft drink consumption has reduced from 37% to 7%
  • the proportion of 15-17-year-olds reporting ever having sex has fallen from 26% to 20%. Of those reporting ever having sex, condom use has reduced from 78% to 55%
  • 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%, father: from 47% to 70%)
  • the number of children reporting that they had good places to socialise in locally has risen, from 45% to 63%
  • there were significant increases in the proportions of children using seatbelts (from 41% to 81%) and regularly brushing their teeth (from 58% to 73%)

Minister Murnane O’Connor said:

"This report is a testament to the progress we are making in supporting the health and wellbeing of the young people of Ireland.

"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. Under our Public Health Alcohol Act 2018 we are working to reduce alcohol consumption, with a recent broadcast watershed provision protecting our children from exposure to alcohol advertising. We are also delivering on strong prevention initiatives under the national Drug Strategy.

"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 trends in the HBSC report give us real cause for optimism about the future. I want to thank everyone involved in this research, particularly the children. In taking the time to make their voices heard, they are making a valuable contribution and helping to inform further policy development for the benefit of future generations."

Data for the most recent HBSC study were gathered in early 2022, at a time when schools were emerging from COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This may have some bearing on the indicators relating to mental health, wellbeing and bullying, all of which have disimproved since 1998. The Healthy Ireland Survey also noted poor mental health in adults during and shortly after the pandemic, but there have been steady improvements since 2021-2022.

HBSC mental health-related results showed:

  • increases in the number of children feeling pressured by school work (from 33% to 48%)
  • 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%)
  • increases in the number of children reporting experiencing headaches (from 26% to 38%) and sleep disturbances (31% to 46%)
  • 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.

"We recognise the ongoing impact of socioeconomic factors in children’s health. Through the Slaintecare Healthy Communities Programme and other initiatives targeting marginalised groups, we are focussing on reducing health inequalities by supporting more people to engage with health services and to follow healthier behaviours.

"This government is also committed to improving the mental health of children and young people through a whole of government approach, as laid out in Sharing the Vision, our national mental health policy. Reflecting this priority, the mental health budget has been increasing year on year, reaching just under €1.5 billion in 2025. A significant proportion of this funding is directed towards child and adolescent primary and specialist mental health services. This investment is bringing us closer to a future where every young person in Ireland feels supported, heard and empowered."

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. Over 70,000 children have been involved since 1998, and many people across Irish society have helped in some way, particularly schools, teachers and parents.

"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."

The report will be available at: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/hbsc/

Notes

HBSC is an international study carried out in 51 participating countries and regions in collaboration with the World Health Organisation. Ireland has participated in HBSC since 1998. The study provides a valuable insight into the health behaviours of school children, monitoring trends in health behaviours such as smoking, vaping, alcohol use, physical activity, food and dietary behaviour, bullying and indicators of wellbeing such as happiness, mental health and life satisfaction. The most recent data collection took place in 2022 and was the seventh survey cycle in Ireland. Previous surveys were undertaken in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.

To date, HBSC Ireland has collected data from 70,533 school-aged children aged 10-17 across the Republic of Ireland. This report describes the self-reported health status of children in Ireland over time in relation to key indicators: health behaviours, health outcomes and the social context of their lives.

The HBSC study in Ireland is funded by the Department of Health. The survey and analysis were carried out by the Health Promotion Research Centre, University of Galway, led by Professor Saoirse Nic Gabhainn and Professor Colette Kelly.

The main HBSC Study, used in the Trends analysis, collates responses from young people aged 10-17.

With regard to contraception, the trend data relates to condom use only, and not that of other contraceptives. Questions on other methods of contraception were included in the main study in 2022, but inclusion in the Trends Report requires a question to be run for three waves of HBSC. It should also be noted that the 2022 data were collected in the first half of 2022, prior to launch of the Free Contraception Scheme, for which 17-year-olds are eligible.

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