Introduction
In Ireland, the Department of Health has made a number of commitments to understanding and improving the health of our population. The vision for a Healthy Ireland is to create a supportive society where all individuals can enjoy health and wellbeing to their full potential. Though we have made a number of advances in terms of health and health care, there are still a number of ongoing threats to our children’s health and wellbeing. For example, in the latter three decades of the 20th century, childhood overweight and obesity prevalence rates increased dramatically in many regions globally. Furthermore, poor wellbeing currently represents a significant public health challenge.
PhD research
I conducted my PhD in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health in University College Cork where I investigated risk factors associated with childhood overweight and obesity. For this two data sources were used: the Cork Children’s Lifestyle (CCLaS) Study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4147704/) and the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) Study (http://www.esri.ie/growing-up-in-ireland/). I published a systematic review which highlighted that between 2002 and 2012, the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in Ireland remained stable though one in four children remained either overweight or obese during this time. My thesis highlighted that overweight and obese children consumed more unhealthy foods than normal weight children. Further, overweight and obese children were more sedentary and less active than their normal weight peers (https://cora.ucc.ie/handle/10468/2062). Household factors including parental weight status, social class and parental education were important risk factors for childhood obesity (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0043503). However, at a local environment level, there was little evidence to suggest that food availability had an effect on dietary quality (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827316301069).
Post-doctoral research
I am currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Health Promotion Research Centre in NUI Galway. As a researcher on the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (http://www.nuigalway.ie/hbsc/), I continued to explore the association between lifestyle factors and health outcomes in children. A recent paper which I co-authored provided evidence to suggest that the influence of body image on wellbeing has increased over time (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X16303780). Some ongoing work suggests that good dietary intake may be protective against poor (http://jech.bmj.com/content/70/Suppl_1/A76.1.abstract?sid=a44cf154-0f35-4ca8-bd7b-cb09572454ed). Furthermore, I also recently published a paper which explored the impact of not meeting public health recommendations for screen time and physical activity on the risk of reporting subjective health complaints (these reflect a significant dimension of wellbeing). The findings highlighted that poor lifestyle behaviours co-existed in a large proportion of children. Those who did not adhere to either public health recommendation were at an increased risk of health complaints (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743516304078).
Conclusion
As poor lifestyle behaviours are common, population levels strategies and interventions are needed. A multifaceted approach to tackle poor lifestyle behaviours has the potential to improve the health and wellbeing of Irish children. From a practical perspective, tackling modifiable barriers to making healthy lifestyle choices at a home, community and wider societal level is required. However, further research is needed to understand the contribution of environmental factors to poor lifestyle behaviours in children.
Dr Eimear Keane,
Post-Doctoral Researcher,
Health Promotion Research Centre,
National University of Ireland Galway.
If you have any questions or comments please contact Martin on m.davoren@ucc.ie