Vol. 566 No. 1
103 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the implications for public health policy of the recent Slán report on lifestyles; and the steps he intends to take to address the issues raised in the report. [11986/03]
There has been for many years a recognised shortage of representative health and lifestyle data available to health service planners. To remedy this perceived information gap the Health Promotion Unit of my Department commissioned in 1998 the National Health and Lifestyle surveys to be carried out at four yearly intervals. The first report was published in 1999 and the second on 16 April 2003. These surveys aim to produce reliable baseline data on key health related lifestyle behaviours including smoking, alcohol and exercise for a representative cross-section of the Irish population.
As there are many external and environmental factors that influence and determine health, the data collected was also analysed in terms of socio-economic groupings and educational status. This data acts as an invaluable resource in informing future policy and programme setting at both national and regional levels as well as providing a useful tool for making European and international comparisons. The repetitive nature of the process also allows trends to be identified in health and lifestyle behaviours. In identifying and more importantly monitoring changes in these trends, national and regional priorities in health promotion activities can be identified. The implications of the second report are currently being considered in my Department.
