Health and Social Care

Health Issues

• New research carried out for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister found that 38% of children live in households which are in the bottom 30% of equivalised household income after housing costs.
  (E.McLaughlin and T.Dignam (2002) Poverty in Northern Ireland, report to the OFMDFM). 
  
  
• Northern Ireland has more children living in poverty than any other region of the UK and average household income here is 22% lower than the UK average.
  (Save the Children 2002)
  
  
• One third of young single mothers indicated that their physical and mental health was only fair, poor or very poor.
  (Gingerbread 1997)
  
  
• Traveller children tend to have high rates of hospitalisation due mainly to illnesses connected to their living conditions.
  (Paul Noonan: Travelling People in West Belfast, (1994) Save The Children, Belfast.)
  
  
• Death rates for Travellers aged under ten years are ten times that of non-Traveller children and Travellers have an adult life expectancy 11-15 years below that of adults in the settled community 
  (Paul Noonan: Pathologisation and Resistance: Travellers, Nomadism and the State in Divided Society, edited by Paul Hainsworth, 1998 Pluto Press London)
  
  
• Accessing health services for members of ethnic groups can be much more difficult than for the rest of the population. For instance, in one study, although all respondents had contact with GPs, only 8% attended the dentist and only 20% mentioned contact with Health Visitors
  (Barnardos, 1995) 
  
  
• Young single mothers sometimes feel they are badly treated in maternity units due to their youthfulness and unmarried status.
  (Getting It Right. The State of Children's Rights in Northern Ireland at the end of the 20th century.  Save the Children & the Children's Law Centre, 1999)
  
  
• Young people in their teens still find it difficult to access health care in their local health centre due to perceived lack of confidentiality. They also experience difficulty with the attitude of some health professionals, both in the community and within hospitals
  (Getting It Right. The State of Children's Rights in Northern Ireland at the end of the 20th century.  Save the Children & the Children's Law Centre, 1999)
  
  
• Young people's mental health has been affected by the Troubles here but there is little support given to teachers to recognise or deal with the manifestations of mental ill health
  (Getting It Right. The State of Children's Rights in Northern Ireland at the end of the 20th century.  Save the Children & the Children's Law Centre, 1999)
  
  
• Hospital Mental Health Services for children and young people in Northern Ireland are seriously inadequate, forcing many young people to be accommodated in adult psychiatric wards.
  (Getting It Right. The State of Children's Rights in Northern Ireland at the end of the 20th century.  Save the Children & the Children's Law Centre, 1999)
  
  
• Smoking
  
• Drugs and Alcohol
  
• Pregnancy
  
• Sexual Health
  
• Mental Health
  
• Disability
  
• Poverty
  
• Education & Information
  
• Housing/Homelessness
  
• Children in Care
  
• Bullying
  
• Stress
  
• Social and Peer Pressure
  
• Violence
  

• Half of those aged between 15 and 16 have been intoxicated within the previous 30 days.
  
  
• Only 1 in 10 children in Northern Ireland are eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables.
  
  
• 35% of young people have smoked tobacco.
  (Alcohol misuse adds to hospital pressures and unnecessary deaths: Department of Health, Social Services nad Public Safety press release, 13th March 2002)
  
  

• On the basis of this survey, the following points can be made about food consumption among young people aged 11-16 in Northern Ireland.
  (Young Peoples' Behaviour and Attitudes Survey Report, OFMDFM, 2001)
  
  
• A generally high consumption of sweets, chocolate bars, buns and sugary squashes and fizzy drinks at least once a day.
  (64% and 65% respectively).(Young Peoples' Behaviour and Attitudes Survey Report, OFMDFM, 2001)
  
  
• Over half eat crisps at least once a day (55%), 31% eat chips at least once a day and one third of the cohort eat fried foods like sausages, eggs and bacon once or twice a week.
  
  
• The vast majority (92%) of those surveyed are aware of the benefits of healthy eating through teaching.
  
  
• Many pupils do not eat breakfast. Only 53% of pupils eat breakfast every school day and 20% go without breakfast every school day. 20% do not have breakfast even at weekends.
  
  
• At lunchtime: 
      50% eat a school dinner 
      33% eat a packed lunch 
      19% eat a snack in the school cafeteria.

• 89% of respondents exercise at least once a week in their free time so much they either sweat or get out of breath and 22% do so every day.
  
  
• Just over half (51%) of pupils exercise for at least 2 to 3 hours per week.(Young Peoples' Behaviour and Attitudes Survey Report, OFMDFM, 2001)

• Living in isolated areas feel powerless.
  
  
• Value the closeness of rural communities.
  
  
• Spend a large amount of their time travelling to access services.
  
  
• Have few opportunities to engage with young people from another cultural tradition.
  
  
• Feel they don't have support from the local community.

(Source: “Distant Voices” – An Action Research Project on Young People and Rural Isolation in the Southern Education & Library Board Area 2002 – Youth Action NI.)

• Disability (Language, Sensory, Visual)
  
  
• Young people feel that health professionals keep information from them
  
  
• There is a perceived lack of involvement in decision making – health care and social care
  
  
• Young people do not trust health and social care staff due to a perceived lack of confidentiality
  
  
• Advertisements making assumptions about young people
   

Information Provision

• Some young people feel it is easy to get the information they need (for example libraries and the internet)
  
  
• Others feel that while the information is available it is not always easy to access
  
  
• Young people may not know where to look for the information they need
  
  
• Some young people may feel inhibited about using some of the sources.
  As regards sex education – appropriate information is not given to young people so that they can make informed decisions and choices
  
  
• Some young people with a disability feel that medical staff do not give them all the information they need to make a decision
  Young people feel that they do not get the information that adults would like them to know
  
  
• Young people would prefer information to be presented in a user friendly way – for example symbols, signs, pictures, and would like information listed. For example, “who, what where” and key contacts on how to access Health and Social Care Professionals key contacts on how to access Health and Social Care Professionals

• Family
  
  
• School Friends
  
  
• Support Groups
  
  
• Helplines
  
  
• Libraries & Leisure Centres
  
  
• Internet
  
  
• Magazines and Television 
  

• Transitional exchange activities for young people
  
  
• Works with young men to provide support and training and resourses
  
  
• The Rural Development Unit to encourage young people to become active in rural development
  
  
• The Rainbow Factory School - Youth Actions provision for young people.

Support Networks

Most Common Worries	Percentage %
Not having any worries	68%
A return to the troubles	52%
The future	50%
My appearance	47%
Crime or Violence	43%
Not being able to get a job	35%
Not being able to make a decision – What am I going to do?	35%
The drugs problem in Northern Ireland	33%
Being in a job/course I don't enjoy	30%
Schoolwork/Exams	30%
Problem with my boyfriend/girlfriend	29%
Lack of Confidence	27%

• From April 1999 to March 2000 a total of 1724 people contacted Aids Helpline NI, 641 (37%) of whom were aged under 30
  (Statistics provided by Aids Helpline NI 2000)
  
  
• Over the financial year 1999/2000 Contact Youth (Providing Telephone Counselling, 1:1 counselling, and school based counselling to 12-26 year olds) dealt with over 1400 young people.  The main categories of topics were substance misuse, relationships and depression
  (Source: Contact Youth Annual Report 1998-1999) 
  
  
• During the year 2000 – 2001, the total number of calls to the telephone counselling service increased by over 100%, to 2976 calls
  (Figures provided by Contact, July 2001)

• Healthy eating initiatives
  
  
• Physical education in school
  
  
• Sexual health education
  
  
• Emotional well-being
  
  
• After school activities
  
  
• Sports and hobbies
  
  
• Youth organisations.