Irish Teenagers Research Articles

Census and sustainability: school provision, urban teenagers, and unequal access to active transport in the Republic of Ireland

ABSTRACT This paper analyses adolescent active transport (AT) to education in Ireland. In Ireland, there is broad consensus that commuting by walking and cycling can be advantageous to health, learning, and reducing traffic congestion and transport emissions. Thus Irish decision-makers, building on academic literature that claims that AT follows population size and density without considering the placement of schools, frequently propose ‘behavioural change’ among urban children as the primary means to overcome low AT. However decision-makers rarely investigate children's actual behaviour as commuters to education, consult children's commuting data, or consider the impact of school provision on AT. This paper challenges these approaches. Employing data reported by Irish teenagers to Census 2016 and 2011, it shows that AT does not follow population size or density but does follow educational provision including the provision of inclusive schools not segregated by religion, gender, or ability to pay.

Participatory Design Going Digital: Challenges and Opportunities for Distributed Place-Making

COVID-19 has urged researchers to explore new options for distributed participatory design, as physical meetings and workshops became unfeasible. This situation posed new challenges but also opportunities, in particular with respect to engagement and inclusion. This paper focuses on distributed PD with Irish teenagers to support place-making during this period: to build relationships with each other and the community. In a two-week online summer school, teenagers explored a concern or highlighted a unique aspect of their local community and designed digital artworks in response. Activities and materials were designed to support reflection, empowerment, inclusiveness, emergence, and playfulness for participatory place-making. Analysis of the summer school provides insights and guidance on the design of online PD for engaging experiences, especially in the context of place-making.

Adequacy of calcium and vitamin D nutritional status in a nationally representative sample of Irish teenagers aged 13–18 years

Context and purposeIn light of the key roles of vitamin D and calcium in adolescent bone health, there is a critical need for representative data on nutritional status for both micronutrients in teenagers. The present work used data from the recent representative National Teens’ Food Survey II (2019–2020) to assess calcium and vitamin D intakes of teenagers in Ireland, including adequacy of such intakes, as well as, for the first time, to characterise serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and their determinants.MethodsUsual calcium and vitamin D intake estimates were generated using food intake data (via 4-day weighed food records) from a nationally representative sample of teenagers aged 13–18 years in Ireland (n 428). Serum 25(OH)D was measured (via LC–MS/MS) in the 57.5% (n 246) who provided a blood sample.ResultsSixty-seven and 94% of Irish teenagers had intakes of calcium and vitamin D below the respective Estimated Average Requirements values, reflecting a high degree of inadequacy of intake for both micronutrients (and higher in girls than boys; P < 0.001). In addition, 21.7% and 33.1% of teenagers had serum 25(OH)D < 30 nmol/L (risk of vitamin D deficiency) and 30–49.9 nmol/L (inadequacy), respectively. Extended winter sampling, being aged 16–18 years, low total vitamin D intake, being overweight/obese or being of non-white skin type were significant (P < 0.05) predictors of serum 25(OH)D < 30 nmol/L.ConclusionsThere was a high prevalence of inadequacy of intake of calcium and vitamin D in Irish teenagers, and a fifth were at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Friends and family matter Most: a trend analysis of increasing e-cigarette use among Irish teenagers and socio-demographic, personal, peer and familial associations

BackgroundE-cigarette ever-use and current-use among teenagers has increased worldwide, including in Ireland.MethodsWe use data from two Irish waves (2015, 2019) of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) to investigate gender and teenage e-cigarette use (n = 3421 16-year-olds). Using chi-square analyses, we report changes in e-cigarette ever-use, current-use, and associated variables. Using multivariable logistic regression, we analyse the increase in e-cigarette use and socio-demographic, personal, peer and familial associations, focusing on gender differences.ResultsE-cigarette ever-use increased from 23% in 2015 to 37% in 2019, and current-use from 10 to 18%. Compared with 2015, the odds in 2019, of becoming both an e-cigarette ever-user and current-user, were significantly higher for girls than boys (ever-use: AOR 2.67 vs 2.04; current-use: AOR 3.11 vs 1.96). Smoking and e-cigarette use are linked but never-smokers who try e-cigarettes rose significantly from 33 to 67% and those using e-cigarettes to quit smoking decreased significantly from 17 to 3%. Almost two-thirds of respondents (66%) in 2019 said that their reason for trying e-cigarettes was “out of curiosity”. Peer smoking is significantly associated with likelihood of e-cigarette ever-use (AOR 6.52) and current-use (AOR 5.45). If “Most/All friends smoke”, odds were significantly higher for boys than for girls (ever-use AOR 7.07 vs 6.23; current-use AOR 5.90 vs 5.31). Less parental monitoring is significantly associated with greater e-cigarette ever-use (AOR 3.96) and current-use (4.48), and having parents who usually don’t know where their child is on Saturday nights was also associated with significantly higher odds for boys than for girls (ever-use AOR 5.42 vs 3.33; current-use AOR 5.50 vs 3.50).ConclusionRespondents had significantly higher odds of being e-cigarette ever- and current-users in 2019 compared with 2015. Use is higher among boys but girls are increasingly at risk. Two-thirds had never smoked cigarettes at first e-cigarette use; two-thirds used out of curiosity but few (3%) for smoking cessation. The most prominent risk factors for e-cigarette use were peer- and parent-related, especially so for boys. Interventions that take account of friend and family influences may provide mechanisms for preventing an increasing risk of nicotine addiction.

Increased smoking and e-cigarette use among Irish teenagers: a new threat to Tobacco Free Ireland 2025.

Smoking prevalence decreased in Irish teenagers in all ESPAD survey waves from 1995 until 2015. However, in ESPAD 2019, current teen smoking and e-cigarette use increased, threatening Ireland's 5% prevalence tobacco endgame strategy. https://bit.ly/3yXVAyN

E-cigarettes and smoking in Irish teens: a logistic regression analysis of current (past 30-day) use of e-cigarettes

AimElectronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among Irish teenagers has risen significantly. In 2019, prevalence of current use (last 30 days) among 15–17-year-olds was 17.3%. We examine social determinants of adolescent e-cigarette current use.Subject and methodsA stratified random sample of 50 schools in Ireland was surveyed in 2019, part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD), with 3495 students aged 15, 16, and 17. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression [providing adjusted odds ratios (AORs)] analyses were performed using Stata version 16.ResultsCurrent e-cigarette users were more likely to be male (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI:0.32–0.96, p < .01), younger (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17–0.67, p = < .05), to participate in sport (AOR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.05–4.65, p < .05), to have higher-educated parents (maternal higher education: AOR = 27.54, 95% CI: 1.50–505.77, p = < .05, paternal higher education: AOR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.00–5.91, p < .05), and less likely to consider their families better off (AOR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.13–0.65, p < .01), or to report familial support (AOR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64–0.95, p < .05). They were more likely to be cigarette smokers (AOR = 7.22, 95% CI: 3.97–13.12, p < .001), to report problem cannabis use (AOR = 3.12, 95% CI: 1.40–6.93, p < .01), to be ‘binge’ drinkers (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI : 1.00–3.32, p = .054), and to have friends who get drunk (AOR = 5.30, 95% CI: 1.34–20.86, p < .05).ConclusionBoys, smokers, binge drinkers, problem cannabis users, and sport-playing teenagers from higher-educated families, are at particular risk. As the number of young people using e-cigarettes continues to rise, including teenagers who have never smoked, improved regulation of e-cigarettes, similar to other tobacco-related products, is needed urgently to prevent this worrying new trend of initiation into nicotine addiction.

Cover | Clúdach

Cover | Clúdach Angela Griffith (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Cover. Mandy O’Neill, Diane, 2018 PHOTOGRAPH Used with the artist’s permission she looks directly to you. Set against a sky-blue background, Diane is centrally and dominantly placed in the composition. Her beauty is mesmeric; her features flawlessly balanced and proportioned in a perfectly oval face, evocative of classical statues. Like her Greek goddess namesake, her poise is assured and controlled. However, unlike many visual representations of the female across time, she does not passively receive our attention, nor is she confrontational. We are looking at a self-possessed individual. Diane is aware of our gaze, and knowingly returns it. She owns her appearance; her distinctive hairstyle, makeup, and jewelry defy the usual conformities associated with a school uniform. And with that, we realize that we are looking at a young adult, which makes her composure all the more striking. We are witnessing a person’s transition from adolescence to adulthood. The artist who produced this image of Diane is Mandy O’Neill. O’Neill grew up in South Dublin, and she continues to work in the capital. She began training and working as an artist relatively later in life, studying photography at third level in her thirties. She is currently a practice-based doctoral candidate with Dublin City University. O’Neill has always worked in photography. Her early images focused on Dublin’s subcultures, and she continues to engage with those who may be perceived as being on the margins of society, her work countering extant middle-class art experiences. Much of her oeuvre stems from a number of art residencies in schools or [End Page 174] with youth centers, some of which have been state-funded through the Arts Council of Ireland, but many of which were self-initiated. Working best in the context of a longer-term project, O’Neill embeds herself in the environment she observes; it becomes her work space. She enters the school community with no perceived plan; themes are allowed to evolve, to suggest themselves to the artist. While initially members of the community may be suspicious of or self-conscious in her presence, it is important that the artist becomes familiar to students and staff, almost to the point of them no longer seeing her separateness as she wanders from classroom to classroom, from activity to activity. O’Neill’s aim is to ultimately become part of the everyday life of the school, which allows her to explore meaning and relevance within that everydayness. However, the artist does not see her role as that of a removed observer. She has conducted workshops with young adults from differing backgrounds on issues including self-image and the importance of social media and its impacts on their lives. It is essential for O’Neill that she does not enter the engagement process with preconceived ideas or objectives. She gets to know the students on their own terms, and coming from a similar social background she—unsentimentally— shares her own life journey to becoming an artist, a role unfamiliar to many of those she works with. It is important to O’Neill that each young person recognizes and takes ownership of their agency throughout the process. Her most recent work is concerned with cultural diversity among Irish teenagers. Working with a group of female post-primary students, she records their social lives and their neighborhoods, and these photographic explorations are shared and discussed within the wider set, bringing together factions that would remain apart in the school environment. Collaboration with O’Neill provides a safe space for her young subjects to question their lives and the lives of others, to build understanding and tolerance. As the process evolves differences dissipate and are replaced with a sense of kinship and solidarity. How each of her young subjects responds to the camera, as with any group in society, differs greatly; some work with it, as in Diane, others will not. As part of the selfie generation, many teenagers are camera savvy. It is a familiar format: many “know their angles” and strike a pose. At times, O’Neill’s sitters can be disappointed...

Age, sex &amp; BMI are associated with different eating behaviour styles in Irish teens

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the types of eating behaviours most common among Irish teenagers and to explore their association with age, sex and Body Mass Index (BMI). Eating behaviour data from the National Teenage Food Consumption Survey (NTFS1 2005/06 n = 441, m/f 224/217) were analysed. The Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ) contains 33 items, which make up 3 scales: Restraint (DEBQ-Res, 10 items), Emotional (DEBQ-Em, 13 items), External (DEBQ-Ex, 10 items). All items are answered on a 5 point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric Wilcoxin-Mann-Whitney U tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests, one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey analysis, and Spearman correlations were run to test associations between age, sex and BMI variables and the 3 DEBQ scales. Data were analysed for the full group and stratified by sex and age groups (13–14/15–17 years). BMI categories were determined using age and sex-specific IOTF cut-offs. Mean(SD) scores among the whole group were DEBQ-Ex = 2.83(0.72), DEBQ-Res = 1.79(0.84), DEBQ-Em = 1.84(0.79). Females scored higher than males on all 3 scales; DEBQ-Res P &lt; 0.001, DEBQ-Em P &lt; 0.001, DEBQ-Ex P = 0.037. Older teens scored significantly higher than younger teens on DEBQ-Em (P &lt; 0.001) and DEBQ-Ex (P = 0.005). Scores were higher for older males compared with younger males on DEBQ-Em (P = 0.009) and DEBQ-Ex (P = 0.017), and for older females compared with younger females on DEBQ-Res (P = 0.031) and DEBQ-Em (P = 0.001). BMI was positively correlated with DEBQ-Res for both males (r = 0.18, P = 0.007) and females (r = 0.337, P &lt; 0.001) and with DEBQ-Em for females (r = 0.153 P = 0.026). When comparing BMI categories, teens classified as overweight (P &lt; 0.001) and obese (P = 0.005) scored higher on DEBQ-Res than normal-weight teens. Similar associations were observed when the sample was split by sex and by age group. Overall, Irish teens’ eating behaviours are mostly influenced by external factors, such as the sight or smell of food, rather than by restrained eating or emotional cues for eating. However, not all teens respond to the same influences. Females respond more than males to emotional cues for eating. Older teens have higher scores than younger teens on all scales. BMI is mostly associated with restrained eating, which is consistent with other literature suggesting that heavier teens are more aware of what they are eating and make focussed food choices to prevent weight gain. When targeting food choice messages to teens, a “one-size-fits-all” model may not be appropriate. Multiple factors, including age, sex and BMI differences, should be considered in order to encourage a positive change in eating behaviours.

Profiling emergency department presentations of 14-15-year-olds in modern Ireland.

Mid-adolescence, that twilight era when the human child transitions to adulthood, is an often overlooked developmental age yet harbours a subpopulation of patients with their own myriad of medical problems somewhat unique to their age group. Our study is aimed at reviewing the typical presentations to a paediatric emergency department of modern Irish teenagers in mid-adolescence, the profile of which has changed significantly over the past 10years. Hospital electronic databases were used to conduct a retrospective review of the paediatric emergency department presentations of patients aged 14-15years during the year of 2017. We collated data on the presenting complaint, background history, admission rate and medical specialities involved in each patient's care while in our Emergency Department. A total of 1485 presentations were made, with 1363 being eligible for inclusion in this study. The results highlight the varied and challenging presentations (Table 1) and the high number of specialities required within emergency medicine to care for this unique population (Table 2). The results highlight the most common presentations of this subgroup of patients, with trauma, in keeping with recent international data, being the most common presentation. The noted high frequency in the number of mental health/intoxication/self-harm presentations among the Irish teenagers in our region is consistent with trends reported in world literature and serves to emphasise one of the main challenges facing those working in paediatrics in Ireland over the next 10years.

A re-evaluation of teenage sunbed use following the introduction of banning legislation for under 18-year-olds.

There is little information on the effectiveness of introducing age restriction legislation alone to reduce the rate of sunbed usage by teenagers. Prior to the Public Health (Sunbed) Act of 2014 prohibiting the use of sunbeds in under 18-year-olds in Ireland we reported the rate of sunbed use at 7.5%. The aim of the study was to compare the rate of sunbed usage among Irish teenagers before and after the introduction of banning legislation to determine if it had the desired effect of reducing its rate of use. In a cross-sectional survey, students from the same schools as in our previous study completed an anonymous, written questionnaire pertaining to sunbed usage. In total, 783 questionnaires, from 13 schools across Ireland, were completed. The rate of sunbed use in the current study was 7.2%, compared to 7.5% in the pre-ban study, (P = 0.76). A higher rate of sunbed use was observed in Dublin schools and female public students. Our study suggests that legislation alone is ineffective at reducing sunbed usage in a teenage population. A multifaceted approach is required that includes enforcement of the legislation together with targeted public education and awareness campaigns using all aspects of the media.

Intakes and sources of vitamin K1 in Irish teenagers aged 13–17 years

Irish Section Meeting, 20–22 June 2018, Targeted approaches to tackling current nutritional issues

Theory/praxis confusion within Irish Liberalism: The curious case of teenage sexuality

The contention that non-procreational sex is inherently sinful is a basic tenet of Catholic teaching. From a secular liberal perspective this proposition is inverted. Yet, despite this ideological clash, in 21st century Ireland there exists a unique convergence of views between members of these opposing ideologies when answering the questions as to whether teenagers under 17 should be allowed to control their sexuality and whether it is right to conceive of female teenagers under 17 as less autonomous and less sexual than their male counterparts.Utilizing an ideal type ‘Irish secular liberal’ construction, this article, deploying insights from the Foucauldian framework, problematizes the secular liberal response to a series of related issues revolving around the rights of Irish teenagers to control their sexuality. It argues that the Irish secular liberal regulation of teenage sexuality by reference to the cognitive ability/sexual autonomy discourse is not the product of a reflexive concern with the psychological harm that may ensue if underage teenagers engage in sexual relations. Rather, it advances the theory that such surveillance, both internal and external, is primarily a means through which the responsible heteronormative adult subject position is produced and governed.

Gaeilge Gaming

In the 2011 census almost one in three Irish teenagers claimed to be unable to speak Irish (Central Statistics Office, Ireland, 2012), despite the language being taught daily in school. The challenges facing the Irish language in schools are complex and multifaceted. The research reported here attempts to address some of these challenges by adopting a novel approach to teaching Irish to primary school children using an online detective game. This paper details how a group of 10 year old children (n = 17) report their experience of the game, and how this compares to its proposed affordances for language learning. Overall, the children responded very positively, and identified significant motivational factors associated with the game, such as rewards, positive team interactions, challenge and active learning. Their feedback demonstrates that this use of gaming technology has the potential to support children's language learning through creating a language community where users are motivated to use Irish in a meaningful way.

Attitudes and perceived risk of cannabis use in Irish adolescents.

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the developed world and its use is associated with several adverse physical and mental health effects and negative social outcomes. Earlier use of cannabis increases the risk of adverse effects. Attitudes and perceived risk towards drugs are regarded as strong influences in determining whether or not a person uses cannabis, but there is little existing research on Irish teenagers' attitudes to the risks of this drug. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study using a structured, anonymous questionnaire. The study was undertaken in nine public and private secondary schools in Cork City and suburbs. Students aged 15-18 and in fourth, fifth or sixth year of school were included. Of the 507 participating students, 39.3% (n=199) reported previous cannabis use. There were significantly lower levels of perceived risk of cannabis among those who had used the drug compared with those who had not, for all categories of risk (p<0.01). Attitudes towards cannabis were more liberal among males and those with previous use of the drug. A minority of students (n=92; 18.2%) support legalisation of cannabis. The majority of teenagers (n=382; 75.8%) believe that they are not given enough information about the drug. Cannabis use is very widespread among teenagers in Cork. There are relatively low levels of perceived risk of mental and physical health problems with use of the drug. Attitudes towards cannabisare associated with personal use of the drug and gender.

Adolescent males in secondary school in Ireland: alcohol use and depressed mood

Per capita alcohol consumption by Irish teenagers has doubled over the past three decades. There has also been a doubling of the suicide rate among young men. The aim of this study was to measure the correlation between alcohol consumption and negative mood (as measured by elements of the Beck Depression Inventory) in a sample (n = 169) of final-year secondary school male students. A questionnaire was devised to ascertain frequency, type and quantity of alcohol consumed, as well as attitudes towards drinking in general. The questionnaire also assessed overall mood disturbance, and these two sets of results were analysed and correlation coefficients calculated. It was found that both alcohol consumption and mood disturbance varied widely throughout the sample and that total alcohol consumption correlated weakly but significantly with overall mood disturbance. However, there was a stronger, more significant correlation between frequency of feeling drunk and mood disturbance, indicating a much greater effect on the teenagers’ mood from binge drinking than from consistently drinking the same quantity of alcohol.

Association of cigarette smoking with drug use and risk taking behaviour in Irish teenagers

Background Cigarette smoking has been shown to act as a ‘gateway’ to cannabis use and further risk taking behaviours. This study aims to (1) establish the prevalence of cigarette smoking and cannabis use in Irish teenagers, (2) to quantify the strength and significance of the association of cigarette smoking and cannabis use and other high risk behaviours and (3) examine whether the above associations are independent of the extent of social networking. Methods Adolescent students across five urban, non-fee paying schools completed an abridged European schools survey project on alcohol and other drugs (ESPAD) questionnaire. Results 370/417 (88.7%) students completed the questionnaire. 228 (61.6%) were female, 349 (94.3%) were aged 15–16 years. 48.4% of those surveyed had smoked tobacco at some stage in their lifetime, 18.1% in the last 30 days. 15.1% have used cannabis with 5.7% using it in the last 30 days. 29.6% of cigarette smokers have used cannabis in comparison to 1.6% of non-smokers. On multivariate analysis lifetime cigarette smoking status was independently associated with hard drug use, adjusted OR = 6.0, p < 0.01; soft drug use, adjusted OR = 4.6, p < 0.01 and high risk sex practises, adjusted OR = 10.6, p < 0.05. Conclusions Cigarette smoking prevalence remains high in Irish teenagers and is significantly associated with drug use and other risk taking behaviours. Specific teenage smoking cessation strategies need to be developed targeting these combined high risk health behaviours.

Sweat: A Memory of Waste

Sweat: A Memory of Waste

A telephone survey of parental attitudes and behaviours regarding teenage drinking

BackgroundIrish teenagers demonstrate high rates of drunkenness and there has been a progressive fall in age of first drinking in recent decades. International research indicates that parents exert substantial influence over their teenager's drinking. We sought to determine the attitudes and behaviours of Irish parents towards drinking by their adolescent children.MethodsWe conducted a telephone survey of a representative sample of of 234 parents who had a teenager aged between 13 and 17 years.ResultsSix per cent reported that they would be unconcerned if their son or daughter was to binge drink once per month. On the issue of introducing children to alcohol in the home, 27% viewed this as a good idea while 63% disagreed with this practice. Eleven per cent of parents reported that they had given a drink to their teenager at home. Parents who drank regularly themselves, who were from higher socio-demographic groups and who lived in the east of Ireland demonstrated more permissive attitudes to teenage drinking.ConclusionsWe found no evidence of widespread permissive attitudes and behaviours among Irish parents. Given that parental influences have been demonstrated to exert substantial impact on teenage drinking, it may be possible to harness the concerns of Irish parents more effectively to reverse the trends of escalating alcohol related harm in Ireland.

Evolving mobile communication practices of Irish teenagers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the social adoption of the mobile phone by Irish teenagers in city, town and rural settings. It aims to investigate two key areas that have influenced the teenagers' social adoption of the mobile phone: first, the influence of locational and socio‐economic factors on mobile phone usage; second, how the teenagers' adoption of recently emergent Web 2.0 applications (social‐networking web sites and instant messaging services) tends to bring about a re‐positioning of the mobile phone's role as a communications channel.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on a social shaping and domestication of media technologies approach, using original empirical data from a survey of teenage respondents and six focus groups.FindingsThe findings suggest that the teenagers' relationship to the mobile phone is evolving as newer communications applications emerge. In particular, the technical competencies and media literacies necessary for multi‐model communication are evolving fastest where locational and socio‐economic conditions are most favourable.Originality/valueAlthough access to the mobile phone cuts across the strata of society, people's capacity to benefit from it – and from other forms of multi‐modal communication – is not evenly distributed. The paper argues that, despite universal ownership of the technological device among the sample of teenagers, the mobile phone is caught up in wider digital and socio‐economic divides.

Contribution of fortified foods to nutrient intakes in Irish teenagers aged 13 to 17 years

Contribution of fortified foods to nutrient intakes in Irish teenagers aged 13 to 17 years