Most Irish 13-year-olds are healthy and feel supported, though girls more likely to have low mood

Government research suggests that the majority of 13-year-olds are healthy, have transitioned well to secondary school and feel supported by family and friends.

More than 6,000 children aged 13 and their caregivers were interviewed for the Department of Children’s Growing Up In Ireland report. The surveys, conducted by phone during varying Covid-19 restrictions, examined education, physical health, socio-emotional well-being, pastimes and family circumstances.

It also examined how their life has changed since they were interviewed at age nine, and follows up on a special Growing Up in Ireland Covid survey conducted in 2020 to see how they were faring during the pandemic restrictions.

The Department of Children said the children in question were born in 2008 and their early years would have been during a recessionary period.

“They were among the first group of children to avail of the free, pre-school year and their middle childhood would have seen significant social changes in Ireland such as the marriage equality referendum,” it said. “They have also grown up in a time of significant technological changes, and were born a few months after the first iPhone was launched in 2007.”

Under the topic of education, the department said the vast majority of the 13-year-olds had made the transition to secondary school and 97 per cent agreed that they had made new friends.

A total of 92 per cent were getting on well with schoolwork and 96 per cent said they were settling in well. Almost three quarters of 13-year-olds expected to achieve a degree.

The survey found the majority of 13-year-olds were healthy, felt supported by friends and family, and participated in a range of pastimes. However, some young people were struggling in one or more areas.

Girls were much more likely than boys to have low mood (21 per cent compared to 8 per cent), lower self-esteem, and symptoms of emotional distress that were observed by their parents.

While it is recommended that young people consume at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, just 11 per cent of 13-year-olds achieved that target on a typical day. For 53 per cent of the children, usually two or three portions were eaten.

One-parent families were more likely to face socio-economic challenges such as being in the lowest income quantile, being in rented housing, having difficulty making ends meet and not having degree-level education.

Young people living in households with characteristics of socio-economic disadvantage, such as low income, low parental education or lone parenthood, were worse off on several indicators such as lower participation in organised team sports, less access to computers suitable for home learning and being more likely to have a chronic health condition.

Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said he was struck by the “complexity of the social world of 13-year-olds”.

“They were dealing with the usual ups and downs of long-standing relationships with parents and siblings while negotiating multiple new relationships with teachers and peers as a result of the transition to secondary school,” he said.

“This was after a prolonged period of reduced social interactions due to Covid and also in the context of simultaneously managing interactions online and face-to-face. It was heartening therefore to read that the majority are doing well and have settled well into school. The report also highlights where more work is required to ensure that all children have the possibility to flourish and reach their potential.”