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."
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