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News and Events

16th Annual health promotion summer conference
21st June, 2012

'Embracing New Agendas for Health Promotion Action:
Developing workforce competencies for effective practice'

Further information

The CompHP Project

The CompHP Project aims to develop competency-based standards and an accreditation system for health promotion practice, education and training that will positively impact on workforce capacity to deliver public health improvement in Europe.

The project uses consensus-building approaches to establish means and methods by which quality governance standards in Health Promotion can be implemented across Europe to stimulate innovation and best practice. The general objectives of the project are:

To identify, agree and publish core competencies for health promotion practice, education and training in Europe.

· To develop and publish competency-based professional standards for health promotion practice.

· To promote quality assurance through the development of a Europe-wide accreditation system.

· To map competencies and standards in academic courses across Europe and link to accreditation for academic
settings.

· To pilot competencies, standards and accreditation with practitioners in a range of settings across Europe.

· To engage in consultation with key stakeholders and disseminate information on the project outcomes throughout the 27
member states and all candidate countries.

The CompHP Project has passed its half way point and is on target to meet its aim of ’developing competency-based standards and an accreditation system for health promotion practice, education and training in Europe’. The first year and a half of the project has been very productive. The first publication of the project – The CompHP Core Competencies Framework for Health Promotion Handbook is now available. Short forms of the CompHP Core Competencies Framework for Health Promotion Handbook are also available as a leaflet or a booklet. Other CompHP publications available are the CompHP Literature Review Developing Competencies for Health Promotion [part 1] / [Part 2] and the final Report Developing a European Consensus on Core Competencies for Health Promotion

This project (# 20081209) is funded by the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC) and runs from 2009 through 2012.

30 June 2011: Minister James Reilly opens the 15th Annual Health Promotion Conference

This year’s conference focused on the topic of 'Mainstreaming Health Promotion' and addressed how a health promotion perspective can be incorporated in all public health policies and reflected in practice, realising the full potential of health promotion and its relevance across diverse sectors. The one day meeting included keynote presentations, covering both international and national perspectives, and a series of workshops on national developments, also included was a consultation on the 'National Public Health Policy Framework'. Presentations are available at http://www.hprcconference.ie/index.html

7 Feb 2011: Launch of the Student Mental Health Web Portal

Television and radio personality, Ryan Tubridy officially launched the student mental health web portal (My Mind Matters MMM) at NUI Galway on the 7th Feb 2011.

My Mind Matters (MMM) http://www.mymindmatters.ie/ is a student website which provides information, help, support and advice to college students around a range of topics that can affect mental health and well-being, such as anxiety, depression, exam stress and coping with the transition to college life. It is a callobarative project between NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork and Dundalk IT. In some colleges, students can also apply for confidential online one-to-one counselling and other interactive supports.

3 December 2010: Health Promotion researchers contribute to new UNICEF report:

The UNICEF Report Card 9: The Children Left Behind was launched on Friday 3 December. 'The Children Left Behind' presents a first overview of inequalities in child well-being for 24 of the OECD countries. It focuses on the relative gap between children in the bottom of the distribution with those occupying the median. Three dimensions of well-being are examined: material, education, and health. In each case, the question asked is 'how far behind are children being allowed to fall?' and why some countries doing so much better at protecting the most vulnerable children. Data from Ireland include HBSC Ireland data collected by researchers from the Health Promotion Research Centre, NUI Galway

The report can be downloaded from: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/rc9_eng.pdf

Media enquiries to: James Elder, Chief of Communications (English)

Mobile: +39 335 758 2585 Email: elderunicef.org

10 October 2010: First cohort from the BA (Honours) Social Care received their degree awards

Picture

At a recent conferring ceremony, the first cohort of learners from the BA (Honours) Social Care received their degree awards (pictured above). Social care programmes have been delivered by the Discipline of Health Promotion since the early 1990s on an outreach basis and the programme continues to be delivered at a number of centres throughout Ireland. The BA Social Care was launched in the 2008/2009 academic year and is provided on a blended learning modular basis over four years.

For further information, please click on this link

http://www.nuigalway.ie/health_promotion/courses/socialcare.html

10 & 11 June 2010

Health Promotion Conference, 2010 - 'Multidisciplinary Approaches to Men’s Health'

Press Release [ download]

To see the conference programme and see copies of the presentations, please visit our conference website http://www.hprcconference.ie/ .

29 April 2010

Launch of Zippys Friends Report

Please click on report cover above to download a copy of either report. If you experience any difficulties, please e-mail christina.costellonuigalway.ie.

29 January 2010

Minister Brady launches WHO Centre at NUI Galway

Minister Brady Launches WHO Centre at NUI Galway
Pictured are (l-r) Professor Margaret Barry, NUI Galway, who will head up the Centre; Dr Kwok-Cho Tang from the WHO Geneva; Dr James J. Browne, NUI Galway President; and Minister Brady.

Ms Áine Brady, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for Older People and Health Promotion, today launched the establishment of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion Research at NUI Galway.

The work of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is supported by a global network of collaborating centres, with the centre at NUI Galway one of only three in Ireland, and one of only 26 centres around the world dedicated to Health Promotion.

The designation comes as a result of the important role the University’s Health Promotion Research Centre has played over the past 20 years in health promotion education and research to support national policies and development. The Centre at NUI Galway is the only one of its kind in Ireland and has an active multidisciplinary research programme of work supported by an experienced team of some 30 staff.

“I am very pleased to launch this WHO Collaborating Centre at NUI Galway. The Health Promotion Research Centre at NUI Galway plays an important role in providing the research and knowledge base for the development of national policy and best practice on promoting the health of the population. I am confident that the Centre will continue to make a very valuable contribution to the work of WHO in health promotion and public health at both national and global levels”, said Minister Brady.

Following today’s announcemnt, the Health Promotion Research Centre at NUI Galway will collaborate with WHO on the effective production, dissemination and translation of health promotion research. This will support the development of effective practice and policy at national, European and global levels. The Centre will focus on supporting evidence-based practice and policy in a number of areas including; research on promoting youth health in schools, the health of staff in the workplace, and advancing the implementation and evaluation of health promotion interventions including those that target improved mental health and social wellbeing.

President of NUI Galway, Dr James J. Browne, said: “This is a tremendous achievement and is an important recognition of the international standing and quality of the research produced at the Health Promotion Research Centre in NUI Galway. The designation of the Health Promotion Research Centre as a WHO Collaborating Centre highlights our international leadership in this field”.

The Health Promotion Research Centre at NUI Galway is officially designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre for an initial period of four years, led by Professor Margaret Barry. who commented: “Health promotion is proven to have a wide range of health and social benefits and our work over the last 20 years and been focussed on informing policy decisions and best practice in this area. We look forward to working with our colleagues at WHO and our national and international partners on the advancement of research for the effective promotion of population health and wellbeing”.

11 November 2009

New Report Launched: HBSC Great Britain and Ireland Report.

A new report focusing on data collected from young people in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales is launched today. The report presents data from the 2006 HBSC survey and expands on the findings from the international report Inequalities in Young People’s Health (Currie et al, 2008), with additional variables and prevalence rates that allows more comprehensive and focussed comparisons to be made between the four countries.

Download the full report here:
Young People's Health in Great Britain and Ireland: Findings from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Survey, 2006. download (3.1 MB)

Download the Press release download (51.5KB)

15 May 2009

SPECIAL JOURNAL ISSUES RELEASED ON GLOBAL HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALTH EDUCATION

WASHINGTON, DC & PARIS, FRANCE – The International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) and the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) are pleased to release today special, complementary peer-reviewed journals containing ten articles on strengthening standards and quality assurance systems of global capacity in health promotion and health education.

SOPHE’s journal, Health Education & Behavior (Vol. 36, No. 3, June 2009), and IUHPE’s journal, Global Health Promotion (Vol. 16, No. 2, June 2009), feature the results of a transatlantic meeting held in Galway, Ireland in June 2008 on the status of, and needed improvements in, developing competency-based standards throughout the world to strengthen workforce capacity in health promotion. Conference deliberations resulted in the first articulation of eight domains of core competency that are required to engage in effective global health promotion practice, as well as recommendations for a baseline acceptable standard of quality and performance to strengthen academic preparation through systems of peer review.

Conference co-chairs, Prof. John Allegrante of Columbia University, a SOPHE past president, and Prof. Margaret Barry of the National University of Ireland, Galway, who serves as the IUHPE Global Vice-President for Capacity-building, Education and Training, served as guest co-editors for the special journals. To promote the widest dissemination possible, both issues are available via online open access.

“The publication of this unique collection of articles represents a milestone toward international collaboration in health education and health promotion,” comments Marie-Claude Lamarre, Executive Director of the Paris-headquartered IUHPE. “We are grateful to the distinguished co-guest editors, editorial board, authors, and all those individuals who participated in the Galway conference and/or commented on its findings.”

In addition to the background leading up to the Galway Conference, articles explore similarities and differences in terminology and definitions related to global credentialing systems for health promotion; development and current status of credentialing systems in the U.S. and in Europe; efforts to strengthen workforce capacity and continuing education; and the Galway Consensus statement enumerating the eight domains of core competency. Invited commentaries are also included from experts in Africa, Australia, Latin America and Canada, as well as those who reviewed the draft consensus statement during a six-month public comment period following the June 2008 conference.

“The recent outbreak of the H1NI virus underscores the need for a global health education workforce that is adequately trained and ready to effectively communicate with diverse segments of the public, media, and many other stakeholders,” says M. Elaine Auld, MPH, CHES, Chief Executive Officer of SOPHE. “Using these recommendations as a roadmap will help protect the public and elevate health education and health promotion to assume a prominent role in global health.”

In addition to IUHPE and SOPHE, key participant organizations of the Consensus Conference included the American Association for Health Education, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Council of Accredited MPH Programs, Council on Education for Public Health, National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, and the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health in the United Kingdom.

To review the papers from Health Education & Behavior go to http://heb.sagepub.com/pap.dtl; to review the manuscripts from Global Health Promotion, see http://ped.sagepub.com/pap.dtl

The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is a 501 (c)(3) professional organization founded in 1950 to provide leadership to the profession of public health education and to contribute to the health of all people and the elimination of disparities through advances in health education theory and research, excellence in professional preparation and practice, and advocacy for public policies conducive to health. SOPHE represents some 4,500 researchers and practitioners trained in health education who work in federal, state, and local public health agencies, schools and universities, medical care settings, community agencies, and worksites.

The mission of The International Union for Health Promotion and Education (the IUHPE) is to promote global health and to contribute to the achievement of equity in health between and within countries of the world. The IUHPE fulfils its mission by building and operating an independent, global, professional network of people and institutions to encourage the free exchange of ideas, knowledge, know-how, experiences, and the development of relevant collaborative projects, both at global and regional levels.

North American Contact: M. Elaine Auld                   Global Contact: Marie-Claude Lamarre
Tel. +1 (202) 408-9804                                                  Tel. + 33 1 48 13 71 20
eauldsophe.org                                                           mclamarreiuhpe.org

28 April 2009

New Report Launched: Middle Childhood: Socio-demographic patterns in health behaviours, risk behaviours, health outcomes and social contexts of young people’s health.

A new report on middle childhood has been launched, conducted by the HBSC Ireland team and published by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Middle Childhood (ages 5-12 years) is an important developmental period when children adapt to life outside of the family. Events and experiences during this time can impact on the adolescent and adult that the child becomes. Up until recently there has been a relative lack of data on this age group in Ireland and indeed worldwide. In 2006, the HBSC study, for the first time in Ireland, collected data from children in 3rd and 4th class in primary schools. This report presents findings from children on socio-demographic patterns in the health behaviours, risk behaviours, health outcomes and social contexts of young people's health. The findings are presented by age group (9 & 10 year olds), gender and social class.

Download the full report here:
Kelly, C., Molcho, M., Gavin, A. & Nic Gabhainn, S. (2009). Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Ireland 2006 Middle Childhood Study: Socio-demographic patterns in health behaviours, risk behaviours, health outcomes and social contexts of young people’s health. Dublin: Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Department of Health and Children, Government of Ireland. download < http://www.nuigalway.ie/hbsc/documents/middlechildstudyfinal_2009.pdf> (865KB).

Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2006 Factsheets now launched:

The 2006 HBSC facsheets are now available on-line ( Factsheets 2006). These factsheets comprise of 2 page summaries of some of the key findings from the 2006 HBSC survey of school-children in Ireland. Contextual information on each of the topics is also provided and includes the subject areas of drug and alcohol use, dieting & food habits, smoking, bullying, exercise, injuries and family structure and relationships. New to this series of factsheets are fruit and vegetable consumption and electronic communication with friends. In total, 20 factsheets are available and should be of interest to health professionals, researchers, policy makers, teachers, students and parents.

24 February 2009

Minister Wallace Publishes Mental Health and Social Well-being of the Irish Population Report

Ms Mary Wallace, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for Health Promotion and Food Safety, today (24th February, 2009) published the results from the Mental Health and Social Well-being Report of the National Health and Lifestyle Survey (SLÁN 2007).

This report, which was commissioned by the Department of Health and Children, is part of a series based on the main SLÁN 2007 survey which was carried out by a research consortium involving NUI Galway, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, the Economic and Social Research Institute, and University College Cork. Involving face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of 10,364 respondents, the study is the largest national survey to date on the extent of both positive and negative mental health and social well-being in the Irish adult population.

“We are very pleased to launch this report, which provides important national level data to guide policy and service development in promoting mental health improvement at a population level. Promoting and protecting population mental health contributes to the functioning of individuals, communities and society and reduces the social and economic burden of mental disorders” said Minister Wallace.

The research team from NUI Galway was led by Professor Margaret Barry, Director of the Health Promotion Research Centre, and included Mr Eric Van Lente and Dr Michal Molcho, also from the Health Promotion Research Centre.

“This report provides the most comprehensive information to date on levels of positive mental health and mental health problems in the Irish adult population. The findings indicate that while the majority of people report reasonably high levels of positive mental health, respondents with low levels of education, low income, who are not in paid emploment and have lower levels of social support, all experience poorer mental health. The findings also indicate the importance of good mental health for our physical health and well-being and underscore the need to implement the recommendations of the national mental health policy Vision for Change”, Professor Barry said on behalf of the team.

The report is available on line at www.dohc.ie or http://www.slan07.ie/

4 December 2008

Exploring the Feasibility of Developing Internet Based Health Promotion Materials for Third Level Students

The Health Service Executive and College Health Services from the National University of Ireland, Galway, University College, Cork and Trinity College, Dublin have completed a study of whether it’s possible to develop one central online health resource for students. The report entitled ’ Exploring the Feasibility of Developing Internet Based Health Promotion Materials for Third Level Students’ was carried out by researchers, Priscilla Doyle and Dr Jane Sixsmith. It explores the appropriateness of existing online health resources for this cohort, assesses the views of students, includes input from IT. staff from each college on technical issues and gives recommendations to move the project from planning to execution stage. download (602KB)

'A Picture of Health' 2008 launched today (November 4th, 2008) by the Health Research Board

HBSC has been selected for inclusion in 'A Picture of Health' published today by the Health Research Board (HRB). The report summarises a selection of HRB funded research, including the HBSC study which is based in the Health Promotion Research Centre, NUI Galway.

Link to A Picture of Health
http://www.hrb.ie/uploads/tx_hrbpublications/Picture_of_Health__2008.pdf

HRB funded project summary download 3.5KB

7 October 2008

2nd National Report of the 2006 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children in Ireland

The extent of health inequalities among children in Ireland has been revealed by a report released on the 7th October, 2008, by the Health Promotion Research Centre. The "Inequalities in Health among School-aged Children in Ireland" report presents findings on the self-reported health status and health behaviours of specific groups of children living in Ireland. These groups include students from the Travelling community, students from immigrant families, students with a disability and chronic illness and students that are part of the Department of Education and Science¹s School Support Programme, under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools action plan, referred to as DEIS schools.

We wish to thank all the students, parents, teachers and school managements who assisted us in collecting these data. HBSC Ireland is supported by the Health Promotion Policy Unit of the Department of Health and Children and the Office of the Minister for Children.

Download the full report:

Available on line in English Inequalities in health among school-aged children in Ireland (657KB)

Ar fáil ar líne i nGaeilge ag Éagothroime Sláinte i measc leanaí ag aois scoile in Éirinn (612KB)

Download the press release Widespread Health Inequality Among School Children in Ireland (10KB)

Éagothroine Sláinte go Forleathan I Measc Leanaí ag Aois Scoile in Éirinn (17KB)

Download Notes to Editors (10KB)

Background information and other reports and publications from HBSC Ireland can be found at www.nuigalway.ie/hbsc

17 June 2008

A new international report from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children: WHO Collaborative Cross-National Study: ’Inequalities in young People’s Health’ is now available.

This international report from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) World Health Organisation collaborative cross-national study is the most comprehensive to date. It presents the key findings on patterns of health among young people in 41 countries and regions across Europe and North America. The document presents a status report on health, health-related behaviour and the social contexts of young people’s health in 2005/2006 and provides the latest evidence from this unique cross-national study on the well-being of young people in industrialised nations.

This is the fourth in a series of international reports from the HBSC study published by the WHO Regional Office for Europe in the “Health policy for children and adolescents” (HEPCA) series. In addition to presenting key statistics on young people’s health, this report has a special focus on health inequalities. It presents data on gender, age and geographic and socioeconomic dimensions of health differentials. The aim of the report is to highlight where inequalities exist in aspects of young people’s health and well-being in order to inform and influence policy and practice and to contribute to health improvement for all young people. The report is available to download from the WHO website at http://www.euro.who.int/datapublications/Publications/Catalogue/20080616_1

Currie, C., Nic Gabhainn, S., Godeau, E., Roberts, C., Smith, R., Currie, D., Pickett, W., Richter, M., Morgan, A. & Barnekow, V. (eds.) (2008). Inequalities in young people's health: HBSC international report from the 2005/2006 Survey. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe. (Health Policy for Children and Adolescents, No. 5).

HBSC Ireland Press Release download (88KB)

HBSC Ireland Press Release - as Gaeilge download (88KB)

WHO Press Release June 17^th download(66KB)

WHO HBSC 2008 Factsheet June 17^th download (78KB)

12th Annual Health Promotion Conference, NUI, Galway, 2008
Presentations & Roundtable Feedback for Downloading

International Collaboration meeting on competencies and accreditation in health promotion and health education

National University of Ireland, Galway, on June 16th, 17th & 18th June, 2008.

Discipline of Health Promotion
Clinical Science Institute
National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
Phone : +353 (0)91 493092 / 493644, Fax: +353 (0) 91 494547 / 494577
E-mail: Discipline of Health Promotion
This page was last updated Friday, February 10, 2012