Charities launch research project aimed at improving health behaviours among young people

Four of Ireland's leading health charities will today announce funding for a major study into how young people can have a real effect in promoting positive health behaviour among their peers.

The Irish Cancer Society, Diabetes Ireland, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the Irish Heart Foundation will join the Medical Research Charities Group (MRCG) and the Health Research Board (HRB) in funding research into the efficacy of methods of teaching 13-18 year olds valuable ways to live healthy lives.

David Hevey, Associate Professor at the School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, will play a lead role in carrying out this research after his submission was successful in an open call for research proposals, held last year.

Details of the investment being made in Prof Hevey’s work will be outlined at a public launch event, to be held in the offices of the Irish Cancer Society, 43-45 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4, 1 February at 3pm.

Speaking ahead of the event, Prof Hevey said:

“Unhealthy behaviours that start in a young person’s teenage years can often progress into adulthood. About eight out of ten smokers in Ireland started the habit before they turned 18 years old. When it comes to such behaviours, it is often peers who are the biggest influence.

“In order to counter this, our research will examine the effects of training young people, aged 13-18, to promote healthy behaviours among their peers through motivational interviewing, a proven method for behaviour change.

“The research will target 6 communities of low socio-economic status. The young people will be taught how to communicate important messages around exercise, smoking and alcohol.”

Prof Hevey will lead a team of six researchers, based in Trinity College Dublin (3), NUI Galway (2) and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (1). Trinity will act as host institution for the project. A total of €285,000 will be invested in the 3-year project.

He added: “Motivational interviewing (MI) encourages the individual to change and gives him or her the confidence to do so. It has been successful in changing various unhealthy behaviours among young people. In this feasibility trial, 18 peer educators will be trained in MI and will deliver the intervention to youth organisations in 3 low SES communities.

“These results will then be compared with 3 similar communities where young people will receive a different intervention: they will get a health education talk, given by a health professional and a peer, and they will be encouraged to complete an online programme to help them change their health behaviours.”

Collectively cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia affect as many as 500,000 people in Ireland every year. An unhealthy lifestyle increases the dangers of such ill health, which is why, for the first time ever, the Irish Cancer Society, Diabetes Ireland, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the Irish Heart Foundation, have come together to support a research initiative aimed at identifying real measures to reduce the risk of these chronic conditions.

The leading health charities are seeking to meaningfully reduce the risk of these chronic conditions in Ireland by funding a research initiative focussing specifically on risk factors common to all four disease groups.

The MRCG is the national organisation of charities active in medical research, and includes the Irish Cancer Society, Diabetes Ireland, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the Irish Heart Foundation among its members. The MRCG has worked with the HRB since 2006 to help fund medical research in Ireland. The MRCG/HRB funding scheme provides funding for clearly defined research projects in disease areas of strategic relevance to individual charities.

This collaboration reflects the shared commitment of all four charities involved to address the issue of risk reduction for chronic conditions at a national level.

Pictured at the launch of a jointly-funded research project aimed at improving health behaviours among young people are (left to right) Kieran O’Leary, CEO, Diabetes Ireland; Tina Leonard, Head of Advocacy and Public Affairs, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Prof David Hevey, Associate Professor at the School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin; Helena O’Donnell, Advocacy and Campaigns, the Irish Heart Foundation; and Dr Robert O’Connor, Head of Research, the Irish Cancer Society. (Photo: Andres Poveda).