All Ireland Traveller Health Study Our Geels - Department of Health ...

Health Survey Findings
Social Capital and Social Support
In ROI respondents gave a broad range of response to the statement that generally speaking, most
people can be trusted, a quarter strongly disagreed (25.8%) and a tenth strongly agreed (10.2%), with
the remainder somewhere mid-way. There were no notable differences by sex and the oldest age group
was somewhat more in agreement than others with the statement. In NI the pattern was somewhat
different. The most frequent category (42.6%) was the neutral one of neither agreeing nor disagreeing
with the statement, and younger people were more likely to agree than older respondents.
Table 186: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ‘Generally speaking, most
people can be trusted?’ (Questionnaire item C1_34)
Strongly
disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
Total ROI 25.8% 21.6% 28.5% 14.0% 10.2% 1,640
NI 7.7% 22.7% 42.6% 19.6% 7.4% 392
Male ROI 28.0% 22.0% 26.5% 13.3% 10.2% 694
NI 6.8% 23.0% 46.1% 18.3% 5.8% 191
Female ROI 24.2% 21.3% 29.8% 14.5% 10.2% 945
NI 8.5% 22.4% 39.3% 20.9% 9.0% 201
Under 30 ROI 25.1% 22.8% 27.7% 12.6% 11.7% 728
NI 10.3% 20.6% 38.7% 24.0% 6.4% 204
30-44 ROI 26.6% 22.1% 28.2% 13.9% 9.2% 425
NI 5.4% 25.6% 42.6% 17.1% 9.3% 129
45 + ROI 28.0% 19.2% 27.3% 15.9% 9.6% 396
NI 3.4% 23.7% 55.9% 10.2% 6.8% 59
The number one grouping providing respondents with a lot of support in ROI were parents (53.3%),
followed by spouse or partner (50.4%), with support from other sources lower. Responses of males
and females were broadly comparable, though men credited spouse or partner (52.8%) with a lot of
support, slightly more so than women did (48.5%). Patterns varied with age, for instance 67.1% of those
under thirty years old credited parents with providing a lot of support, but this declined with increasing
age. In NI parents also were also ranked first as sources of support (46.1%), again with an age-related
pattern. Spouse or partner ranked fourth (27.0%) after other sources such as other relatives, children
and friends; however partner was not applicable in the respondent’s situation for 61.0% in NI compared
with 29.6% in ROI.
n
155