GROWING UP IN IRELAND
National Longitudinal Study of Children
The Health of 9-Year-Olds
BACKGROUND
Figure 2: Main chronic illness types
Growing Up in Ireland is the National Longitudinal
Study of Children. The study aims to track, from
infancy through to adolescence, the lives of two
representative cohorts of children in Ireland – a ninemonth cohort of 11,200 infants and a nine-year cohort
of 8,500 children, their families and teachers.
GENERAL HEALTH
Parent’s were asked to rate their child’s health in the
past year. Health status is generally reported as being
good, but there are substantial social gradients.
•99% of parents indicated that their child was in good
health; 74% rated their child as very healthy and 25%
as healthy, but with a few minor problems.
•Social gradients in health status are clear. 76% of
children from Professional/Managerial groups were
rated as being very healthy compared with 69% of
children from Semi-skilled/Unskilled backgrounds.
Figure 1: Parent's rating of children's health, by
household social class
Respirato ry
19
Nervo us system
5
Digestive
4
Ear and masto id
4
Circulato ry
4
Skin
4
Co ngenital and
chro mo so mal
3
Genito urinary
3
M usculo skeletal
3
Endo crine and
metabo lic
2
Eye and A dnexa
2
1
No t classified
0
% of
9-year-olds
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
46
M ental and
behavio ural
10
20
30
40
50
% of 9-year-olds
76
74
69
OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY
23
25
29
1
Very Healthy
Healthy, but a few
minor problems
2
2
Sometimes quite
ill/Almost alw ays
unw ell
Prim ary Caregiver’s perception of the study child’s health status
Professional/Managerial
Other Non-manual/Skilled Manual
Semi-skilled/Unskilled Manual
CHRONIC ILLNESS
•11% of 9-year-olds had a chronic illness or disability.
•These were more concentrated among children from
lower socio-economic backgrounds – 10% of children
from Professional/Managerial families compared with
14% among children from Unskilled Manual Families.
•7% of children who had a chronic illness or disability
were described by their parents as being severely
hampered by it in their daily activities.
•A small number of illnesses accounted for the most
of the chronic illness. 47% are accounted for by
respiratory illnesses, 17% by mental and behavioural
conditions while skin conditions (5%) were next most
common.
These are major public health issues.
Overall, 74% of nine-year-old children were
classified as non-overweight, 19% as overweight
and 7% as obese.
Girls were more likely than boys to be classified
as overweight (22% compared to 17%) and obese
(8% compared to 6%).
Figure 3: Percentage of children within each BMI
category by household social class
% of
9-year-olds
90
80
78
70
73
67
60
50
40
30
18
20
20
22
4
10
8
11
0
Non-overw eight
Overw eight
Obese
Child's BMI classification
Professional/Managerial
Other Non-manual/Skilled manual
Visit our website at www.growingup.ie or email us at growingup@esri.ie
Semi-skilled/Unskilled Manual
GROWING UP IN IRELAND
National Longitudinal Study of Children
The Health of 9-Year-Olds
BACKGROUND
Figure 2: Main chronic illness types
Growing Up in Ireland is the National Longitudinal
Study of Children. The study aims to track, from
infancy through to adolescence, the lives of two
representative cohorts of children in Ireland – a ninemonth cohort of 11,200 infants and a nine-year cohort
of 8,500 children, their families and teachers.
GENERAL HEALTH
Parent’s were asked to rate their child’s health in the
past year. Health status is generally reported as being
good, but there are substantial social gradients.
•99% of parents indicated that their child was in good
health; 74% rated their child as very healthy and 25%
as healthy, but with a few minor problems.
•Social gradients in health status are clear. 76% of
children from Professional/Managerial groups were
rated as being very healthy compared with 69% of
children from Semi-skilled/Unskilled backgrounds.
Figure 1: Parent's rating of children's health, by
household social class
Respirato ry
19
Nervo us system
5
Digestive
4
Ear and masto id
4
Circulato ry
4
Skin
4
Co ngenital and
chro mo so mal
3
Genito urinary
3
M usculo skeletal
3
Endo crine and
metabo lic
2
Eye and A dnexa
2
1
No t classified
0
% of
9-year-olds
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
46
M ental and
behavio ural
10
20
30
40
50
% of 9-year-olds
76
74
69
OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY
23
25
29
1
Very Healthy
Healthy, but a few
minor problems
2
2
Sometimes quite
ill/Almost alw ays
unw ell
Prim ary Caregiver’s perception of the study child’s health status
Professional/Managerial
Other Non-manual/Skilled Manual
Semi-skilled/Unskilled Manual
CHRONIC ILLNESS
•11% of 9-year-olds had a chronic illness or disability.
•These were more concentrated among children from
lower socio-economic backgrounds – 10% of children
from Professional/Managerial families compared with
14% among children from Unskilled Manual Families.
•7% of children who had a chronic illness or disability
were described by their parents as being severely
hampered by it in their daily activities.
•A small number of illnesses accounted for the most
of the chronic illness. 47% are accounted for by
respiratory illnesses, 17% by mental and behavioural
conditions while skin conditions (5%) were next most
common.
These are major public health issues.
Overall, 74% of nine-year-old children were
classified as non-overweight, 19% as overweight
and 7% as obese.
Girls were more likely than boys to be classified
as overweight (22% compared to 17%) and obese
(8% compared to 6%).
Figure 3: Percentage of children within each BMI
category by household social class
% of
9-year-olds
90
80
78
70
73
67
60
50
40
30
18
20
20
22
4
10
8
11
0
Non-overw eight
Overw eight
Obese
Child's BMI classification
Professional/Managerial
Other Non-manual/Skilled manual
Visit our website at www.growingup.ie or email us at growingup@esri.ie
Semi-skilled/Unskilled Manual
GROWING UP IN IRELAND
National Longitudinal Study of Children
The Health of 9-Year-Olds
BACKGROUND
Figure 2: Main chronic illness types
Growing Up in Ireland is the National Longitudinal
Study of Children. The study aims to track, from
infancy through to adolescence, the lives of two
representative cohorts of children in Ireland – a ninemonth cohort of 11,200 infants and a nine-year cohort
of 8,500 children, their families and teachers.
GENERAL HEALTH
Parent’s were asked to rate their child’s health in the
past year. Health status is generally reported as being
good, but there are substantial social gradients.
•99% of parents indicated that their child was in good
health; 74% rated their child as very healthy and 25%
as healthy, but with a few minor problems.
•Social gradients in health status are clear. 76% of
children from Professional/Managerial groups were
rated as being very healthy compared with 69% of
children from Semi-skilled/Unskilled backgrounds.
Figure 1: Parent's rating of children's health, by
household social class
Respirato ry
19
Nervo us system
5
Digestive
4
Ear and masto id
4
Circulato ry
4
Skin
4
Co ngenital and
chro mo so mal
3
Genito urinary
3
M usculo skeletal
3
Endo crine and
metabo lic
2
Eye and A dnexa
2
1
No t classified
0
% of
9-year-olds
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
46
M ental and
behavio ural
10
20
30
40
50
% of 9-year-olds
76
74
69
OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY
23
25
29
1
Very Healthy
Healthy, but a few
minor problems
2
2
Sometimes quite
ill/Almost alw ays
unw ell
Prim ary Caregiver’s perception of the study child’s health status
Professional/Managerial
Other Non-manual/Skilled Manual
Semi-skilled/Unskilled Manual
CHRONIC ILLNESS
•11% of 9-year-olds had a chronic illness or disability.
•These were more concentrated among children from
lower socio-economic backgrounds – 10% of children
from Professional/Managerial families compared with
14% among children from Unskilled Manual Families.
•7% of children who had a chronic illness or disability
were described by their parents as being severely
hampered by it in their daily activities.
•A small number of illnesses accounted for the most
of the chronic illness. 47% are accounted for by
respiratory illnesses, 17% by mental and behavioural
conditions while skin conditions (5%) were next most
common.
These are major public health issues.
Overall, 74% of nine-year-old children were
classified as non-overweight, 19% as overweight
and 7% as obese.
Girls were more likely than boys to be classified
as overweight (22% compared to 17%) and obese
(8% compared to 6%).
Figure 3: Percentage of children within each BMI
category by household social class
% of
9-year-olds
90
80
78
70
73
67
60
50
40
30
18
20
20
22
4
10
8
11
0
Non-overw eight
Overw eight
Obese
Child's BMI classification
Professional/Managerial
Other Non-manual/Skilled manual
Visit our website at www.growingup.ie or email us at growingup@esri.ie
Semi-skilled/Unskilled Manual
GROWING UP IN IRELAND
National Longitudinal Study of Children
The Health of 9-Year-Olds
BACKGROUND
Figure 2: Main chronic illness types
Growing Up in Ireland is the National Longitudinal
Study of Children. The study aims to track, from
infancy through to adolescence, the lives of two
representative cohorts of children in Ireland – a ninemonth cohort of 11,200 infants and a nine-year cohort
of 8,500 children, their families and teachers.
GENERAL HEALTH
Parent’s were asked to rate their child’s health in the
past year. Health status is generally reported as being
good, but there are substantial social gradients.
•99% of parents indicated that their child was in good
health; 74% rated their child as very healthy and 25%
as healthy, but with a few minor problems.
•Social gradients in health status are clear. 76% of
children from Professional/Managerial groups were
rated as being very healthy compared with 69% of
children from Semi-skilled/Unskilled backgrounds.
Figure 1: Parent's rating of children's health, by
household social class
Respirato ry
19
Nervo us system
5
Digestive
4
Ear and masto id
4
Circulato ry
4
Skin
4
Co ngenital and
chro mo so mal
3
Genito urinary
3
M usculo skeletal
3
Endo crine and
metabo lic
2
Eye and A dnexa
2
1
No t classified
0
% of
9-year-olds
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
46
M ental and
behavio ural
10
20
30
40
50
% of 9-year-olds
76
74
69
OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY
23
25
29
1
Very Healthy
Healthy, but a few
minor problems
2
2
Sometimes quite
ill/Almost alw ays
unw ell
Prim ary Caregiver’s perception of the study child’s health status
Professional/Managerial
Other Non-manual/Skilled Manual
Semi-skilled/Unskilled Manual
CHRONIC ILLNESS
•11% of 9-year-olds had a chronic illness or disability.
•These were more concentrated among children from
lower socio-economic backgrounds – 10% of children
from Professional/Managerial families compared with
14% among children from Unskilled Manual Families.
•7% of children who had a chronic illness or disability
were described by their parents as being severely
hampered by it in their daily activities.
•A small number of illnesses accounted for the most
of the chronic illness. 47% are accounted for by
respiratory illnesses, 17% by mental and behavioural
conditions while skin conditions (5%) were next most
common.
These are major public health issues.
Overall, 74% of nine-year-old children were
classified as non-overweight, 19% as overweight
and 7% as obese.
Girls were more likely than boys to be classified
as overweight (22% compared to 17%) and obese
(8% compared to 6%).
Figure 3: Percentage of children within each BMI
category by household social class
% of
9-year-olds
90
80
78
70
73
67
60
50
40
30
18
20
20
22
4
10
8
11
0
Non-overw eight
Overw eight
Obese
Child's BMI classification
Professional/Managerial
Other Non-manual/Skilled manual
Visit our website at www.growingup.ie or email us at growingup@esri.ie
Semi-skilled/Unskilled Manual