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8 PREDICTED PROPORTION OF 9-YEAR-OLDS WITH MOBILE PHONES IN COHORTS '98 AND '08 BY PARENTAL EDUCATION
Source publication
This report looks at how the lives of nine-year-olds have changed over a decade in terms of their relationships with family and friends, their pastimes and their school experiences. It draws on data from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study, comparing nine-year-olds in 2007/8 and 2017/18 (Cohorts ’98 and ’08), a period of considerable social and p...
Citations
... This study draws on data on Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) Cohorts '98 and '08 to document changes in the lives of adolescents over the period 2011/12 to 2021/22, building on an earlier study (Smyth, 2022) which compared their experiences at nine years of age. This decade was a period of considerable social and policy change, including reform of the junior cycle, growing digitalisation and the disruption of the pandemic to all aspects of young people's lives. ...
... Having two cohorts in the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study enables detailed analyses of the extent of change in the lives of adolescents over a decade. This research builds upon a similar analysis of changes over time in the lives of nine-year-old children (Smyth, 2022), which showed improved parent-child relations but concerning declines in engagement in sports and growing socio-economic inequality in sports participation and reading. Information from the 13-year wave of Cohort '08 offers the potential to look at whether these changes persist into adolescence and whether new trends are observed in the wake of the pandemic. ...
... Previous research on the two cohorts at the age of nine had shown increasing levels of mobile phone ownership and a shift in the type of screen time (Smyth, 2022). For the two cohorts at age 13, we can distinguish between time spent watching TV/films/videos (on a TV set, tablet or other device), time spent playing video/computer games and other online or screen-based activities. ...
The report draws on data from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study, comparing 13-year-olds in 2011/12 and 2021/22, to look at how the lives of 13-year-olds have changed over a decade in terms of their relationships with family and friends, their day-to-day activities and their school experiences.
... However, existing survey data suggest the need for large-scale upgrading of existing primary schools in order to facilitate the provision of engaging teaching and learning, the inclusion of children with SEN, meeting energy efficiency goals, and promoting physical activity among children. The latter point is particularly important given recent evidence that regular sports participation among nine-year-olds has declined over a decade (Smyth, 2022). ...
This chapter looks at the implications of demographic change and the quality of existing facilities for investment requirements in capital infrastructure in the education sector. There is a strong case for largescale investment in the upgrading of facilities. The effectiveness of capital investment is fundamentally dependent on the levels of current expenditure and their efficient use. Tackling any issues around teacher supply, ongoing curriculum review and reform, and the professional development needed to support this are all key in ensuring the best use of capital investment.
Purpose:
More time spent on near tasks has consistently been associated with the promotion of myopia. The World Health Organization advises limiting daily screentime to less than 2 h for children aged five and over. This study explored the relationship between time spent on screens and reading/writing with refractive status, ocular biometric and anthropometric factors in 6- to 7-year-olds in Ireland.
Methods:
Participants were 723 schoolchildren (377 boys [51.8%]), mean age 7.08 (0.45) years. The examination included cycloplegic autorefraction (1% cyclopentolate hydrochloride), ocular biometry (Zeiss IOLMaster), height (cm) and weight (kg). Screentime and reading/writing time were reported by parents/legal guardians by questionnaire. Myopia (≤-0.50D) and premyopia (>-0.50D ≤ 0.75D) risk assessments were performed using logistic regression, and multivariate linear regression was used to analyse continuous variables.
Results:
Reported daily screentimes were 31% <1 h, 49.5% 1-2 h, 15.6% 2-4 h and 3.9% >4 h. Reading/writing times were 42.2% frequently, 48.0% infrequently and 9.8% seldom/never. Linear regression, controlling for age and ethnicity, revealed >2 h/day on screens was associated with a more myopic spherical equivalent [β = -1.15 (95% confidence intervals {CIs}: 1.62-0.69, p < 0.001)], increased refractive astigmatism (β = 0.29, CI: 0.06-0.51, p = 0.01), shorter corneal radius (β = 0.12, CI: 0.02-0.22, p = 0.02), higher axial length/corneal radius (β = 0.06, CI: 0.03-0.09, p < 0.001), heavier weight (β = 1.60, CI: 0.76-2.45, p < 0.001) and higher body mass index (BMI) (β = 1.10, CI: 0.28-1.12, p < 0.001). Logistic regression, controlling for age and ethnicity, revealed daily screentime >2 h was associated with myopia (OR = 10.9, CI: 4.4-27.2, p = 0.01) and premyopia (OR = 2.4, CI: 1.5-3.7, p < 0.001). Frequent reading/writing was associated with screentime ≤2 h/day (OR = 3.2, CI: 1.8-5.8, p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Increased screentime was associated with a more myopic refraction, higher axial length/corneal radius ratio, increased odds of myopia, premyopia, higher degrees of astigmatism, increased weight, BMI and decreased reading/writing time. Dedicated education programmes promoting decreased screentime in children are vital to prevent myopia and support eye and general health.
