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About NUI Galway
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Community Engagement
Community Engagement
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News & Events
HEALTH BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
(HBSC) IRELAND
World Health Organization
Collaborative Cross-National Study
The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey is a WHO collaborative cross-national study that monitors the health behaviours, health outcomes and social environments of school-aged children every four years. HBSC Ireland surveys school-going children aged 9-18 years. The study is conducted by the HBSC Ireland team, based at the Health Promotion Research Centre, NUI Galway.
As a result of the recent cyber attack on NUI Galway a number of downloads are not currently available. Please bear with us while we correct this problem. If you require any assistance please email hbsc@nuigalway.ie.
Latest News
Long-term trends in the consumption of sugary and diet soft drinks
An article in the European Journal of Nutrition asssessing the prevalence of daily consumption of sugary (2002–2018) and diet (2006–2018) soft drinks among European adolescents shows a huge fall in the number of Irish teenagers drinking sugar-laden soft drinks on a daily basis. The study, including HBSC Ireland data, was conducted across 21 countries. In Ireland in 2002, 37.1pc of teenagers reported consuming a sugary soft drink daily. In 2006, the figure was 26pc, in 2010 it was 20.8pc, in 2014 12pc and in 2018 it had fallen to 6.5pc.
Read the article:
Chatelan, A., Lebacq, T., Rouche, M., Kelly, C., Fismen, A.S., Kalman, M., Dzielska, A., & Castetbon, K. (2022). Long-term trends in the consumption of sugary and diet soft drinks among adolescents: a cross-national survey in 21 European countires. European Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-022-02851-w
Read news reports:
Irish teenagers lead way in Europe in saying no to unhealthy sugary drinks - Irish Independent 8th April 2022
Irish teenagers see biggest reduction in sugary drinks consumption, study finds - Irish Times 8th April 2022
Exploring the world of food
April 2022
Exploring the world of food: The perspective of families with children is an new report published by safefood. The study was lead by HBSC Ireland team member Professor Colette Kelly. The overall aim of the project was to explore the factors that influence daily food-related decisions and the strategies that parents and families living on a low income use to buy and prepare food for their families. This report outlines the findings of the research and makes recommendations to address the issues identified.
Children's Research Network Book
March 2022
A new book Child and Youth Participation in Policy, Practice and Research includes a chapter co-authored by HBSC team member Prof. Colette Kelly. The book was launched on Friday 11th March. Colette was one of the speakers at the launch and her presentation Process and impact of involving children in the HBSC Ireland study is avaliable to download.
Change Makers - IUA & RTE Six Part Documentary Series - 2022
The programme featuring HBSC Ireland aired on Monday January 3rd 2022 at 8.30pm on RTE One television.
Watch the clip featuring HBSC Ireland.
View the full episode on RTE Player: Change Makers Episode 1
The Irish Universities Association has partnered with RTÉ and New Decade TV to bring Ireland’s Change Makers, the most transformative research-led projects and the inspiring people behind them, to Irish television this coming January and February 2022.
The series will showcase the remarkable and lasting public impact of leading research projects by eight universities in Ireland in areas such as children’s health, health technology, education, youth justice, gender equality and inclusion, as well as the environment.
HBSC Ireland is featured in the first episode that will be broadcast from Monday January 3rd 2022 at 8.30pm on RTE One television and the RTE Player.
For more information see https://www.iua.ie/changemakers/ and https://www.iua.ie/changemakers/health-behaviour-in-school-aged-children-nui-galway/
Data Visualisations
December 2021
The HBSC Ireland team have published interactive data visualisations using data from the 2018 Full Variable Report.
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Fruit and Drink Consumption
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Substance Use
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Age of Initiation
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Type of Alcohol Consumption
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Bullying and Cyberbullying Behaviour
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Perceptions of Students in Class(es)
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Perceptions of School
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Perceptions of Teachers
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Contraceptive Use
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Sun Protection
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Online Contact
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Internet Communication Preferences
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Social Media Experiences
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Health Symptoms
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Mental Health Indicators During the Last Month
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Feelings During the Last Two Weeks
- HBSC Ireland 2018 General Wellbeing Feelings
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Discrimination
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Ease of Talking with Family and Friends
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Family Support
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Family Communication
- HBSC Ireland 2018 Support from Friends
HBSC Ireland 2018 Factsheets
December 2021
Factsheets from the 2018 study are now available. These factsheets contain information on school children's health and well-being in Ireland. Each of these factsheets can be viewed in Adobe Reader by just clicking on the links below. To download Adobe Reader to go: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
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- Factsheet 1: Smoking behaviour among schoolchildren in Ireland. download
- Factsheet 2: Exercise among schoolchildren in Ireland. download
- Factsheet 3: Dieting behaviour among schoolchildren in Ireland. download
- Factsheet 4: Sweets consumption among schoolchildren in Ireland. download
- Factsheet 5: Fruit consumption among schoolchildren in Ireland. download
- Factsheet 6: Bullying behaviour among schoolchildren in Ireland. download
All-island Alcohol Data Directory
June 2021
HBSC Ireland reports and the interactive data visualisations of data from the report Trends in Health Behaviours, Health Outcomes and Contextual Factors between 1998-2018: findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study are included in the All-Island Alcohol Data Directory. The directory collates data and information on alcohol consumption and related harm on the island of Ireland. The resource was developed as part of a programme of all-island cooperation on alcohol policy driven by the North South Alcohol Policy Advisory Group (NSAPAG) which is chaired by the Institute of Public Health. The resource was first made publicly available in May 2019 and is updated quarterly. IPH moderates and uploads resources to the Alcohol Data Directory on behalf of the NSAPAG.
Dr András Költő interviewed by journalist Ed Holt for the Lancet
June 2021
HBSC Ireland team member Dr András Költő was interviewed by journalist Ed Holt for a Lancet article discussing the new legislation in Hungary banning the portrayal or promotion of homosexuality or sex reassignment to anyone under 18 years of age. Read the article Mental health fears over Hungarian anti-LGBTQI laws. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01434-3.
Describing the situation in Hungary for LGBTI+ people, especially LGBTI+ young people, as grave Dr Költő will be presenting findings from the study LGBTI+ Youth in Ireland and across Europe: A two-phased Landscape and Research Gap Analysis to the Hungarian Psychological Association’s LGBTQ Section later in the summer to discuss what can be done to combat this abominable law.
Growing Up in Ireland: The lives of 9-year-olds of cohort '08
26 June 2021
The report Growing Up in Ireland: The lives of 9-year-olds of cohort '08 contains both Irish and International HBSC data. The reserch finds that 9-year-olds’ experiences and developmental outcomes – particularly in terms of physical health, socio-emotional well-being and difficulties, play and activities, and attitudes to, and engagement with, school – were associated with both gender and family circumstances.
Launch of ‘LGBTI+ Youth in Ireland and across Europe
24 May 2021
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), Roderic O’Gorman, T.D., today (24 May) launched the ‘LGBTI+ Youth in Ireland and across Europe: A two-phased Landscape and Research Gap Analysis’.
The research, conducted jointly by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and NUI Galway reviewed all relevant research on LGBTI+ youth in Ireland and Europe since 2000.
The report was led by HBSC Team members Dr András Költő, Dr Elena Vaughan, Dr Colette Kelly and Professor Saoirse Nic Gabhainn, with Dr Linda O’Sullivan from DCEDIY and Professor Elizabeth Saewyc from the University of British Columbia, Canada.
2018 Full Variable Report
This report includes all variables included in the 2018 study, and provides details for every response option by age, gender, and social class and their interactions. The outputs are presented by section below:
About school download
About you download
About you and your friends download
Bullying and cyberbullying download
Eating and dieting download
Electronic communication download
Family characteristics and relationships download
Mental health and wellbeing, discrimination and puberty download
Physical Activity download
Romantic relationships and sexual behaviour download
Sun Protection download
Tobacco, alcohol and drugs download
Violcence and injuries download
Your local area download
LGBTI+ Youth Landscape and Knowledge Gap Analysis Research Report
The HBSC Ireland team, in collaboration with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), will soon publish the LGBTI+ Youth Landscape and Knowledge Gap Analysis Research Report.
The HBSC Ireland team was commissioned to carry out a Landscape and Knowledge Gap Analysis of the research on LGBTI+ youth health and well-being in Ireland and Europe, and to map the findings to the objectives of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy. The report illustrates which objectives are well supported with scientific evidence, and where there are information gaps which need more research.
The launch will be held via Zoom on the 24th of May 2021 (Monday) between 4.00-6.00pm Irish Time to share the report on the findings of this project with the wider community of stakeholders, including young people, service providers, LGBTI+ youth organisations, the research community and policy- and decision-makers.
The report will be launched by Minister Roderic O’Gorman, T.D., with the research team and staff of the DCEDIY. Attendees will be asked for feedback and input into targeted short summary reports during breakout sessions being held as part of the launch.
If you would like to attend, please complete the Registration Form
New HRB report on alcohol
The fourth alcohol overview undertaken by the HRB: Alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm and alcohol policy in Ireland. HRB Overview Series 11 is now avaiable. This overview contains updated data and information to assess the current situation in Ireland regarding alcohol consumption and harm, and policy responses, and to analyse trends over time. It is compiled using a variety of Irish data sources including HBSC Ireland data.
Data Visualisations
April 2021
The HBSC Ireland team have published interactive data visualisations of data from the report Trends in Health Behaviours, Health Outcomes and Contextual Factors between 1998-2018: findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study. These visualisations offer new ways to explore key findings:
- Trends in Health Behaviours 1998-2018 - Current smoking, ever been drunk, cannabis use, bullying others, trying to lose weight, fruit consumption, tooth brushing, seatbelt use, vigorous exercise, having had sexual intercourse and condom use at last sexual intercourse.
- Trends in Age of Initiation 1998-2018 - Age of first cigarette, age of first alcoholic drink
- Trends in Health Outcomes 1998-2018 - Headache, feeling low, medically attaned injury, self-rated health, happy with life at present, life satisfaction
- Trends in Social Contexts of Children's Lives 1998-2018 - Communication with mother, communication with father, live with both parents, liking school, organising school events, pressured by school work, close friends of the same sex, evenings out with friends, feel safe in the local area, good places to spend free time, help or favours from neighbours
Health Research Board Factsheets
HBSC Ireland data features in 2 updated factsheets published by the Health Research Board:
HRB (2021). Factsheet – Smoking: the Irish situation. Dublin: Health Research Board. download
HRB (2021). Factsheet – Young people, drugs and alcohol: the Irish situation. Dublin: Health Research Board. download
Trends Report Webinar
Trends Report Infographic
download a printable copy of this Infographic of findings from the latest HBSC Trends report
Trends in Health Behaviours, Health Outcomes and Contextual Factors between 1998-2018.
The HBSC Ireland report Trends in Health Behaviours, Health Outcomes and Contextual Factors between 1998-2018: findings from the Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study was launched on 8th March 2021 by Frank Feighan, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and National Drugs Strategy.
The report explores the trends in the health and wellbeing of children in Ireland between 1998 and 2018. To date, HBSC Ireland has collected data from 62,720 school-aged children aged 10-17 years across the Republic of Ireland. The report describes the self-reported health status of children in Ireland over time in relation to key indicators: health behaviours, health outcomes and the contexts of their lives. Internationally comparable trends data are also included.
Download the report:
Gavin, A., Költő, A., Kelly, C., Molcho, M., & Nic Gabhainn, S. (2021). Trends in Health Behaviours, Health Outcomes and Contextual Factors between 1998-2018: findings from the Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study. Dublin: Department of Health download
Download a copy of the press release: English version download, Irish version download
Watch the video of the children's comments presented during the lauch webinar.