Minister Publishes Key Report on 25-Year Trends in Children’s Health
Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, recently published the Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Trends Report: 1998–2022.
Compiled by the University of Galway with the WHO, the report tracks changes in young people’s health in Ireland over 25 years. Key findings include:
Tooth brushing more than once a day has increased from 58% to 73%. Girls are more likely than boys to brush their teeth more than once a day — a pattern seen across all age groups
Smoking (23% to 5%), drunkenness (33% to 18%) and cannabis use (12% to 7%) have all declined significantly
Daily fruit intake has risen (18% to 25%) while soft drink consumption has dropped (37% to 7%)
The DHF welcomes the increase in regular tooth brushing, recognising it as a vital habit in preventing tooth decay and supporting long-term oral health.
The full report is available here.