Young people in Ireland between 15 and 24 are the most active, the least likely to be obese or overweight and get the most sleep. That’s according to the Healthy Ireland survey 2019 launched this week.
The Healthy Ireland Survey is an annual survey aiming to give an up-to-date picture of the nations health.
Physical activity, weight and sleep
61% of young people are reaching the national recommended amount of physical activity. This is significantly higher than the national average of 46%.
Just 37% of the population is within the normal weight range, with 37% being overweight and 23% being obese. However, young people between 15 and 24 are much less likely to be overweight or obese with 65% in the normal weight range.
Young people also get the most sleep with 15-24 year olds getting an average of 7.8 hours each night and students getting 7.9 hours. The national average of 7.1 hours.
Read about how to plan for 30 minutes of exercise a day.
Time spent sitting and sunbeds
Young people between 15 and 24 spend the most time sitting per day. However, those aged 15-24 spend significantly less time sitting on the weekend than on weekdays.
Those between 15 and 24 are also the second highest users of sunbeds. The highest users of sunbeds are those between 25 and 34 with 7% of them using sunbeds. 5% of 15-24 year olds use sunbeds and the national average is 3%. People living in Dublin are also more likely to use sunbeds than the rest of the country.
The full results of the Healthy Ireland Survey 2019 are available here.
