1. GROWING UP IN IRELAND National Longitudinal Study of Children The Health of 9-Year-Olds Visit our website at www.growingup.ie or email us at growingup@esri.iewww.growingup.iegrowingup@esri.ie BACKGROUND These are major public health issues.  Overall, 74% of nine-year-old children were classified as non-overweight, 19% as overweight and 7% as obese.  Girls were more likely than boys to be classified as overweight (22% compared to 17%) and obese (8% compared to 6%). Growing Up in Ireland is the National Longitudinal Study of Children. The study aims to track, from infancy through to adolescence, the lives of two representative cohorts of children in Ireland – a nine- month cohort of 11,200 infants and a nine-year cohort of 8,500 children, their families and teachers. Parent’s were asked to rate their child’s health in the past year. Health status is generally reported as being good, but there are substantial social gradients. 99% of parents indicated that their child was in good health; 74% rated their child as very healthy and 25% as healthy, but with a few minor problems. Social gradients in health status are clear. 76% of children from Professional/Managerial groups were rated as being very healthy compared with 69% of children from Semi-skilled/Unskilled backgrounds. 11% of 9-year-olds had a chronic illness or disability. These were more concentrated among children from lower socio-economic backgrounds – 10% of children from Professional/Managerial families compared with 14% among children from Unskilled Manual Families. 7% of children who had a chronic illness or disability were described by their parents as being severely hampered by it in their daily activities. A small number of illnesses accounted for the most of the chronic illness. 47% are accounted for by respiratory illnesses, 17% by mental and behavioural conditions while skin conditions (5%) were next most common. OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY CHRONIC ILLNESS GENERAL HEALTH Figure 3: Percentage of children within each BMI category by household social class Figure 2: Main chronic illness types Figure 1: Parent's rating of children's health, by household social class

2. GROWING UP IN IRELAND National Longitudinal Study of Children The Health of 9-Year-Olds Visit our website at www.growingup.ie or email us at growingup@esri.iewww.growingup.iegrowingup@esri.ie BACKGROUND These are major public health issues.  Overall, 74% of nine-year-old children were classified as non-overweight, 19% as overweight and 7% as obese.  Girls were more likely than boys to be classified as overweight (22% compared to 17%) and obese (8% compared to 6%). Growing Up in Ireland is the National Longitudinal Study of Children. The study aims to track, from infancy through to adolescence, the lives of two representative cohorts of children in Ireland – a nine- month cohort of 11,200 infants and a nine-year cohort of 8,500 children, their families and teachers. Parent’s were asked to rate their child’s health in the past year. Health status is generally reported as being good, but there are substantial social gradients. 99% of parents indicated that their child was in good health; 74% rated their child as very healthy and 25% as healthy, but with a few minor problems. Social gradients in health status are clear. 76% of children from Professional/Managerial groups were rated as being very healthy compared with 69% of children from Semi-skilled/Unskilled backgrounds. 11% of 9-year-olds had a chronic illness or disability. These were more concentrated among children from lower socio-economic backgrounds – 10% of children from Professional/Managerial families compared with 14% among children from Unskilled Manual Families. 7% of children who had a chronic illness or disability were described by their parents as being severely hampered by it in their daily activities. A small number of illnesses accounted for the most of the chronic illness. 47% are accounted for by respiratory illnesses, 17% by mental and behavioural conditions while skin conditions (5%) were next most common. OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY CHRONIC ILLNESS GENERAL HEALTH Figure 3: Percentage of children within each BMI category by household social class Figure 2: Main chronic illness types Figure 1: Parent's rating of children's health, by household social class

3. GROWING UP IN IRELAND National Longitudinal Study of Children The Health of 9-Year-Olds Visit our website at www.growingup.ie or email us at growingup@esri.iewww.growingup.iegrowingup@esri.ie BACKGROUND These are major public health issues.  Overall, 74% of nine-year-old children were classified as non-overweight, 19% as overweight and 7% as obese.  Girls were more likely than boys to be classified as overweight (22% compared to 17%) and obese (8% compared to 6%). Growing Up in Ireland is the National Longitudinal Study of Children. The study aims to track, from infancy through to adolescence, the lives of two representative cohorts of children in Ireland – a nine- month cohort of 11,200 infants and a nine-year cohort of 8,500 children, their families and teachers. Parent’s were asked to rate their child’s health in the past year. Health status is generally reported as being good, but there are substantial social gradients. 99% of parents indicated that their child was in good health; 74% rated their child as very healthy and 25% as healthy, but with a few minor problems. Social gradients in health status are clear. 76% of children from Professional/Managerial groups were rated as being very healthy compared with 69% of children from Semi-skilled/Unskilled backgrounds. 11% of 9-year-olds had a chronic illness or disability. These were more concentrated among children from lower socio-economic backgrounds – 10% of children from Professional/Managerial families compared with 14% among children from Unskilled Manual Families. 7% of children who had a chronic illness or disability were described by their parents as being severely hampered by it in their daily activities. A small number of illnesses accounted for the most of the chronic illness. 47% are accounted for by respiratory illnesses, 17% by mental and behavioural conditions while skin conditions (5%) were next most common. OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY CHRONIC ILLNESS GENERAL HEALTH Figure 3: Percentage of children within each BMI category by household social class Figure 2: Main chronic illness types Figure 1: Parent's rating of children's health, by household social class

4. GROWING UP IN IRELAND National Longitudinal Study of Children The Health of 9-Year-Olds Visit our website at www.growingup.ie or email us at growingup@esri.iewww.growingup.iegrowingup@esri.ie BACKGROUND These are major public health issues.  Overall, 74% of nine-year-old children were classified as non-overweight, 19% as overweight and 7% as obese.  Girls were more likely than boys to be classified as overweight (22% compared to 17%) and obese (8% compared to 6%). Growing Up in Ireland is the National Longitudinal Study of Children. The study aims to track, from infancy through to adolescence, the lives of two representative cohorts of children in Ireland – a nine- month cohort of 11,200 infants and a nine-year cohort of 8,500 children, their families and teachers. Parent’s were asked to rate their child’s health in the past year. Health status is generally reported as being good, but there are substantial social gradients. 99% of parents indicated that their child was in good health; 74% rated their child as very healthy and 25% as healthy, but with a few minor problems. Social gradients in health status are clear. 76% of children from Professional/Managerial groups were rated as being very healthy compared with 69% of children from Semi-skilled/Unskilled backgrounds. 11% of 9-year-olds had a chronic illness or disability. These were more concentrated among children from lower socio-economic backgrounds – 10% of children from Professional/Managerial families compared with 14% among children from Unskilled Manual Families. 7% of children who had a chronic illness or disability were described by their parents as being severely hampered by it in their daily activities. A small number of illnesses accounted for the most of the chronic illness. 47% are accounted for by respiratory illnesses, 17% by mental and behavioural conditions while skin conditions (5%) were next most common. OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY CHRONIC ILLNESS GENERAL HEALTH Figure 3: Percentage of children within each BMI category by household social class Figure 2: Main chronic illness types Figure 1: Parent's rating of children's health, by household social class