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Since 1845, NUI Galway has been sharing the highest quality teaching and research with Ireland and the world. Find out what makes our University so special – from our distinguished history to the latest news and campus developments.
NUI Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching across a range of key areas of expertise.
At NUI Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
NUI Galway Research Impact Case Studies #PurposePeoplePlace
HBSC Ireland is featured in the NUI Galway Reseearch Inpact Case Studies.
For 28 years HBSC Ireland has been recording the health and wellbeing of Ireland’s school-aged children. Read more about the positive impact their research is making on children's lives here.
Watch a video of Professor Saoirse Nic Gabhainn and Professor Colette Kelly reflcting on HBSC Ireland and its impact.
Recent Publications
June 2022
Recent publications by the Health Service Executive and the Health Research Board contain HBSC Ireland data: Health Service Executive (2022). The State of Tobacco Control in Ireland. HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme 2022. Second Report. Dublin: Health Service Executive. download Health Research Board (2022). Factsheet – Smoking and vaping: the Irish situation. Dublin: Health Research Board. download
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 Researchincludes 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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
The fourth alcohol overview undertaken by the HRB: Alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm and alcohol policy in Ireland. HRB Overview Series 11is 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.
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 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 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.
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HEALTH BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN 
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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. 
