National Council on Ageing and Older People - Annual Report 2008

National Council on Ageing and Older People РAnnual Report 2008 2008 was a year of change for the National Council on Ageing and Older People. In January the Government announced the establishment of the Office for Older People at the Department of Health and Children and that the Office would have a key role in progressing the Government̢?Ts agenda for older people. The decision provided that Council staff would be transferred to the Office and that the Council would be replaced by an Advisory Council. Although a sad day for the Council itself, we regard this as a significant step forward in bringing older people̢?Ts issues right to the centre of Government policy-making. Click here to download PDF 333kb

Limiting the Exposure of Young People to Alcohol Advertising - Annual Report 2011

Our task as a Monitoring Body is to oversee the implementation of and adherence to Voluntary Codes of Practice to limit the exposure of young people under the age of 18 years to alcohol advertising. As this Sixth Annual Report shows there was overall compliance in 2011 by television, radio, cinema, outdoor advertisers and newspapers and magazines with the obligations set down in the Codes. Click here to download PDF 2.03MB

Trends in violent deaths among young people 10-24 years old, in Switzerland, 1969-1997.

PURPOSE: To assess violent death rates and trends between 1969 and 1997 among young people aged 10-24 years old in Switzerland. METHODS: Total causes of death, all external causes of injuries, traffic injuries, suicides and overdoses were retrieved from the databank of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO), using the eighth and tenth revisions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Mortality rates per 100,000 individuals were computed by gender and by age (10-14, 15-19, 20-24) using census records as denominators. RESULTS: In 1995-1997, violent deaths represented the primary cause of fatalities among young people. Rates of violent death were much higher among males than among females, with a ratio of 3.5:1 in 1995-1997 and also became increasingly elevated from the age range of 10-14 to 20-24 years (1.9:1-4.4:1). In 1995-1997, violent deaths accounted for 66% (n = 1221) of all fatalities among young people. Among violent deaths, 36% were due to traffic injuries, 13% to other types of injuries, 32% to suicide, 15% to overdoses, 3% to homicides and 1% to undetermined intent. Between 1969 and 1997, rates of traffic injuries decreased in both genders and in the three age groups considered, while rates of suicide remained stable and rates of overdoses stabilised during the nineties after a sharp increase during the eighties. CONCLUSION: Although violent deaths in Switzerland have become significantly less frequent over the last 30 years, they still represent the single greatest cause of fatalities among young people and, as such, constitute a major public health challenge.

Limiting the Exposure of Young People to Alcohol Advertising - Seventh Annual Report 2012

The task of the Monitoring Body is to oversee the implementation of and adherence to Voluntary Codes of Practice to limit the exposure of young people, under the age of 18 years, to alcohol advertising.  The Monitoring Body is chaired by Mr Peter Cassells  Download the seventh annual report here

First Steps on health for young people

This project will promote health awareness and encourage a more pro-active approach to looking after your health for12-16 year olds. Although focusing on young people, the approach being used hopes to cascade the information- the young people will take what their understanding into the home and the wider community. In order to reach their objectives they will carry out workshops with the youth in ways that will grab their attention and encourage a ‘change of lifestyles’ for example; painting murals relating to health issues etc. An information day was held as was an art project and several workshops, 1 of which allowed students to make a video on the role of the pharmacist. Results showed teenagers found it beneficial to get information on areas of health that they wanted to increase their awareness in. The project also identified a determination amongst staff to become more aware of the dangers of smoking and the project gave them a means of empowerment to help students who smoke to stop. All those involved in the project either through the information day, workshops or the art project felt it was tangible and was a sensitive wasy to deal with teenge health problems. The project created an understanding of why there is a need to take a communtiy response to such problems.

Analysis of need in relation to 'one stop shop' services for young people in Northern Ireland

An analysis of need for 'one stop shop'; drop-in support services in relation to alcohol and drug misuse, undertaken by the PHA for the Health Development Policy Branch of the DHSSPS.

Using group role-playing games with gifted children and adolescents: A psychosocial intervention model

Gifted children develop asynchronously, often advanced for their age cognitively, but at or between their chronological and mental ages socially and emotionally (Robinson, 2008). In order to help gifted children and adolescents develop and practice social and emotional self-regulation skills, we investigated the use of an Adlerian play therapy approach during pen-and-paper role-playing games. Additionally, we used Goffman's (1961, 1974) social role identification and distance to encourage participants to experiment with new identities. Herein, we propose a psychosocial model of interactions during role-playing games based on Goffman's theory and Adlerian play therapy techniques, and suggest that role-playing games are an effective way of intervening with gifted children and adolescents to improve their intra- and interpersonal skills. We specifically targeted intrapersonal skills of exercising creativity, becoming self-aware, and setting individual goals by raising participants' awareness of their privately logical reasons for making decisions and their levels of social interest. We also targeted their needs and means of seeking significance in the group to promote collaboration and interaction skills with other gifted peers through role analysis, embracement, and distancing. We report results from a case study and conclude that role-playing games deserve more attention, both from researchers and clinical practitioners, because they encourage change while improving young clients' social and emotional development.

Reducing the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET)

Evidence Review 3 - Reducing the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) Briefing 3 - Reducing the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) This pair of documents, commissioned by Public Health England, and written by the UCL Institute of Health Equity, examine how to help young people into employment, education or training. They describe the relationship between being NEET and health; inequalities in prevalence of being NEET; and the scale of the problem. The papers show that being NEET, particularly for prolonged periods, is associated with negative effects on health and a range of other outcomes. Furthermore, the chances of becoming NEET are not equally or randomly distributed throughout society – those who are relatively disadvantaged, from poor backgrounds, or who have had negative experiences at school are more likely to spend some time being NEET. The papers also propose actions that can be taken at a local level in order to reduce the proportion of young people who are NEET. There is good evidence on what works in order to enable and support young people to enter employment, education and training. Taking action to reduce NEET levels is both possible and necessary – both to ensure young people have opportunities, and also as an important way to improve public health and reduce inequalities. The full evidence review and a shorter summary briefing are available to download above. This document is part of a series. An overview document which provides an introduction to this and other documents in the series, and links to the other topic areas, is available on the ‘Local Action on health inequalities’ project page. A video of Michael Marmot introducing the work is also available on our videos page.

A Study of Drug Prevention Services for Young People

To investigate the range and utilisation of community based drug prevention services using the Belfast Youth Development Study data, along with in depth interviews and documentary analysis. It is hoped the research will inform local policy.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Pulmonary artery pressure and cardiac function in children and adolescents after rapid ascent to 3,450 m.

High-altitude destinations are visited by increasing numbers of children and adolescents. High-altitude hypoxia triggers pulmonary hypertension that in turn may have adverse effects on cardiac function and may induce life-threatening high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), but there are limited data in this young population. We, therefore, assessed in 118 nonacclimatized healthy children and adolescents (mean ± SD; age: 11 ± 2 yr) the effects of rapid ascent to high altitude on pulmonary artery pressure and right and left ventricular function by echocardiography. Pulmonary artery pressure was estimated by measuring the systolic right ventricular to right atrial pressure gradient. The echocardiography was performed at low altitude and 40 h after rapid ascent to 3,450 m. Pulmonary artery pressure was more than twofold higher at high than at low altitude (35 ± 11 vs. 16 ± 3 mmHg; P < 0.0001), and there existed a wide variability of pulmonary artery pressure at high altitude with an estimated upper 95% limit of 52 mmHg. Moreover, pulmonary artery pressure and its altitude-induced increase were inversely related to age, resulting in an almost twofold larger increase in the 6- to 9- than in the 14- to 16-yr-old participants (24 ± 12 vs. 13 ± 8 mmHg; P = 0.004). Even in children with the most severe altitude-induced pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular systolic function did not decrease, but increased, and none of the children developed HAPE. HAPE appears to be a rare event in this young population after rapid ascent to this altitude at which major tourist destinations are located.

Reducing young people's drinking

This series of Good Practice Guides is designed to share important information about health inequalities and some of the evidence-based measures that can be taken to reduce the stark differences in health and wellbeing within populations. The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age can lead to health inequalities the unfair and avoidable differences in health status. Actions to tackle health inequalities demand the efforts of government, statutory organisations, and community, voluntary and private sectors. This Good Practice Guide to reducing young people's drinking is one of a series designed to capture information about health inequalities and highlight evidence-based interventions and key actions for improvement across sectors.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Good Practice Guides: Reducing young people's drinking

Actions to tackle health inequalities demand the efforts of government, statutory organisations, and community, voluntary and private sectors. This Good Practice Guide to reducing young people's drinking is one of a series designed to capture information about health inequalities and highlight evidence-based interventions and key actions for improvement across sectors.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

The mental health of young people in Ireland:a report of the Psychiatric Epidemiology Research across the Lifespan (PERL) Group Dublin.

There has been a dearth of epidemiological research on rates of mental disorder among Irish people and little is known about the numbers of young people in Ireland who are experiencing diagnosable mental disorders. In the context of such limited epidemiological research in the field of mental health, the PERL Group in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland has conducted two studies on mental disorders and psychopathology among young Irish people. This report is the first research report from these two studies by the PERL Group. It provides data on the prevalence rates of mental disorder, substance use, deliberate self-harm and suicidality among young Irish people aged 11-24 years.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Substance use behaviours of young people with a moderate learning disability: a longitudinal analysis.

Substance use behaviors of young people attending a special school are reported over a 4-year period from the age of 12-16 years. The article investigated these behaviors by surveying a cohort of young people with a statement for moderate learning disabilities annually during the last 4 years of compulsory schooling. The findings show that these young people consistently reported lower levels of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use compared with those attending mainstream school. No other illicit drug use was reported. The potential implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the context and timing of targeted substance education and prevention initiatives for young people with moderate learning disability attending a special school.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Growing up in Ireland. Key findings: 13-year-olds. No. 2. Physical activity and obesity among 13-year-olds.

This Key Finding reports on data from the second wave of interviews with Growing Up in Ireland's Child Cohort. The 8,568 children and their families were first interviewed when the children were 9 years old, and then at age 13 years, when 7,400 were reinterviewed between August 2011 and February 2012.The findings show that boys and young people from more socially advantaged backgrounds were more likely to exercise, and that 13-year-olds who took more exercise (whether hard or light exercise) were less likely to be overweight or obese.While most of the young people in Growing Up in Ireland maintained a healthy weight over time, one in four was either overweight or obese, a finding similar to that at 9 years. Girls were also more likely to be classified as overweight or obese than boys. The majority of 13-year-olds were quite positive about their physical appearance, although a quarter rated themselves as below average in this respect, and girls tended to be less positive about their body image than boys. Dieting behaviours had also become evident at 13.To understand more fully the origins and course of overweight and obesity, the descriptive data in this Key Finding can be used in more complex analyses drawing on the rich data available on the child, family and other important contextual variables.This resource was contributed by the National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.