Technical Report - Donegal Traveller's Project

Health Survey FindingsSection B3: 9-year-old Child HealthGeneral SummaryA majority of mothers (94.8% in ROI and 89.3% in NI) reported the health of their 9-year-old children asexcellent or very good.Most (81.4% in ROI and 78.2% in NI) brushed their teeth at least daily. In ROI 60.9% and in NI 76.9%of children had been seen by a dentist in the last 12 months. Just 2.4% in ROI and 3.1% in NI werereported as smokers. In ROI 84.9% of children were reported as always wearing a seatbelt, compared to65.6% in NI.Around one fifth of 9-year-olds (22.9% ROI and 18.5% NI) had access to a computer, most of these, bothmale and female, used it a little of the time only. There was wide variability in number of days childrenwere active for at least an hour daily; just under half (48.6%) were active 7 days in ROI, and 25.4% in NI.In ROI 24.6% were reported to have a mobile phone and in NI 52.3%. Almost all watched TV (includingvideos and DVD) regularly, the majority spending between 1 to 5 hours per day on weekdays and atweekends also.Most children (92.5% in ROI and 84.6% in NI) had their first daily meal between 7 and 9 a.m. and mostreported daily breakfast during school week (79.9% ROI and 64.9% NI) with higher rates at weekends.Whilst fruit (34.6% ROI and 36.9% NI), and vegetables (29.0% ROI and 24.6% NI) were reported as beingeaten more than daily by respondents, diet fizzy drinks (45.9% ROI and 39.3% NI) and fish (27.9% ROIand 43.5% NI) were never consumed by appreciable numbers. Sweets, crisps and chips were consumedon several occasions weekly.Many parents thought their children were always fit and well (65.2% ROI and 71.9% NI), and not at allsad (49.1% ROI and 51.6% NI) or lonely (64.8% ROI and 62.5% NI). Most felt they got on well at school(63.7% ROI and 62.9% NI). There were few appreciable differences according to gender. Whilst themajority of parents did not think their child had been picked upon in the last year, appreciable numbers(22.5% ROI and 22.2% NI) said that they had been. A majority (58.4% ROI and 61.9% NI) felt it was alwayssafe for children where they lived and a majority (76.3% ROI and 96.7%) reported their children had anetwork of up to 10 friends. Over 95% of families in both jurisdictions reported they had eaten together,visited relations, sat and watched TV or chatted in the last week.CommentaryIn total, 69% of the 9-year-old children in SC 5-6 in the NLSC/GUI study were judged by their parents tobe very healthy, and 29% were judged to be healthy, but with a few minor problems. 89.8% and 91%of 9-year-old children in SC 5-6 in the HBSC study and the lowest income group in the NLSC/GUI studyrespectively brush their teeth daily or more than daily, compared with 81.4% of ROI and 78.2% of NITraveller 9-year-olds. Similarly few children in this age group have tried smoking tobacco in the HBSCSC 5-6 9-year-olds (3.0%).199