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A summary of the recent context of children and youth affairs in Ireland together with and overview and their health status in recent years.
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The health of Irish children:findings from recent studies
Prof Kevin P Balanda, FFPH
Director of Research, Institute of Public Health in Ireland
Tirana, Albania April 2014
Policy context
Recent policy context
National Children’s Strategy 2000-2010 (2000)
Series of semi-autonomous government agencies: Programme of Children / Best Health for Children / National Children’s Office
Children and family services some fragmented and disjointed; distributed across several government departments
In 2011, Department of Health & Children (DoHC) split into:• Department of Health • Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA)
A new public health framework “Healthy Ireland 2013–2020 launched in 2013 with a focus on early years and prevention
Responsibilities: • Deliver focused interventions dealing with child welfare & protection,
family support, adoption, school attendance & reducing youth crime. • Harmonise policy and provision across Government and with a wide
range of stakeholders• Oversee the new Child & Family Agency
Minister for Children & Youth Affairs became a full Cabinet minister (previously Minister was a junior minister in DoHC)
Children’s Office became Office of the Minister of C&YA
Child & Family Agency established in January 2014 and brought together a number of service agencies
Department of Children & Youth Affairs
Better Outcomes, Brighter Future 2014-2020
Recent research studies and
information initiatives
• Commenced Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) national longitudinal study of children (2010)
• Continuing support for Health Behaviours of School-aged Children (HBSC) surveys
• Publication of the National Strategy for Research & Data on Children’s Lives (2011-2016)
• Children’s Research Centre (TCD) and Centre for Effective Services (CES)
National Set of Child Well Being Indicators (2005)
• Personal Health Record • Health Information Bill
Some recent research and information initiatives
HBSC Studies
To increase our understanding of young people’s health & well-being, health behaviours & their social context.
Cross-sectional study in 43 European countries & regions (WHO European Region collaboration)
Based on self-completion questionnaires administered in schools
Repeated every 4 years:
Irish HBSC survey:• 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 • In 2010, 67% of invited schools (85% of invited children)
participated.• In 2010, 16,060 children aged 9-17 years from 256 schools
www.nuigalway.ie/hbsc
Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) Study
National longitudinal study of factors that contribute to or undermine the well-being of children in contemporary Irish families
Face-to-face interviews of parents, teachers, principals & carers
Infant cohort (9 months) and Child cohort (9 years).
Two waves of data collection (2007/2008 & 2010): • Infant cohort (at 9 months and 3 years) • Child cohort (at 9 and 13 years).
Infant cohort: 11,100 (quantitative study) & 120 (qualitative study)
Child cohort: 8,500 (quantitative study) & 120 (qualitative study)
Recent findings
State of the Nation’s Children. Ireland 2012
Commitment of National Children’s Strategy
HBSC surveys, GUI study, census data and administrative data
Modelled on national child wellbeing Indicators
Source: Dr Sean Denyer (DCYA and DH)
Risk behaviours (1998 – 2010). HBSC
Cuerrent smoker Cannabis use Been drunk 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
21
10
29
19
11
31
15
12
32
12
8
28
1998
2002
2006
2010
Early smoking Initiation (2002 – 2010). HBSC
Positive health behaviours (1998 – 2010). HBSC
Frequent fruit consumption Regular exercise Use seatbelt0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
18
47
62
19
53
79
20
51
82
54
41
1998200220062010
Exercise (4+ per week) (1998 – 2010). HBSC
Communication with parents (1998 – 2010). HBSC
Mother Father0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
74
48
78
56
81
64
82
67
1998200220062010
Main trends among 9 – 17 year olds (1998 – 2010) : the good news. HBSC
Increases in fruit and vegetable consumption, use of seatbelts, self reports of excellent health, happiness, life satisfaction, tooth brushing, communication with mother and father, liking school and (most) positive school perceptions, local area has good places to go and is a good place to live, and can ask for help from neighbours
Decreases in smoking, drunkenness, bullying others, injuries, consumption of soft drinks and crisps, teenage pregnancies
Main trends among 9 – 13 year olds (1998 – 2010): the not-so-good news. HBSC
Increases in feeling pressured by school work, feeling low, local area is run down
No changes since 1998 in feeling anxious, having been bullied or feeling safe in local area
Decreases in exercise and high levels of overweight and obesity
High levels of binge drinking
Significant social class differences remain the same or are getting worse
Some policy implications (1)
Social gradient in health outcomes appears very early in childhood
Early interventions have the potential to reduce the scale of this gradient e.g speech and language therapy
The amount and type of interaction between a carer and a child has a direct effect on the achievement of developmental milestone.
Strong association between infant temperament and parental stress: supports to parents can reduce this stress
Some policy implications (2)
Children spend significant amounts of time in non-parental child care (particularly from age three): More consideration needs to be given to using these as health promoting opportunities
There has been a very large increase in the numbers of families with financial difficulties
Overweight and obesity occurs very early in childhood. There are few changes between the ages of 9 and 13 in levels of obesity
Thank you
Any questions?