This chapter explores essential aspects of health and well-being amongst 25-year-olds. Some of the most salient findings were:
Most 25-year-olds reported themselves to be in excellent (22.7%) or very good (42.1%) general health at the time of the survey (See Figure 5.1). Men (26.1%) reported being in excellent health more often than women (19.4%).
Respondents without a minimum NFQ Level 7 qualification recorded fair or poor health more often. More than twice as many respondents who had less than an NFQ Level 7 qualification (degree level equivalent, 16.3%) reported fair or poor health compared with those with an NFQ Level 7 or higher qualification (7.2%).
Nearly a quarter of respondents (23.7%) stated they had a condition diagnosed by a medical professional (See Table 5.1). Such conditions could include respiratory diseases; endocrine diseases; nervous system conditions; digestive system conditions; musculoskeletal conditions; mental health conditions; intellectual disability; physical and sensory disabilities; autism, emotional or behavioural disorders among others.
As in self-reported general health, women and those with lower education recorded worse outcomes: 28.2% of women reported having a diagnosed condition compared with 19.1% of men. Continuing in further education may be difficult for those with poor health; nearly one-third (32.0%) of those without a degree or degree equivalent education had a diagnosed condition compared with 18.1% who did have a degree or degree equivalent. Almost four in ten (38.6%) women without an NFQ Level 7 had a diagnosed condition compared with 14.6% of men with a degree or degree equivalent.
A sex difference could be seen in exercise intensity (See Figure 5.2), similar to when this group were interviewed at age 20. About two-thirds of men (67.9%) reported they had done at least 30 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise in the week before completing the survey. This included exercise that caused a large increase in heart rate and breathing. This compared with less than half (49.2%) of women who had exercised vigorously in the week before completing the survey.
Further differences in activity levels were also seen in relation to levels of education. Less educated men and women had done less vigorous exercise in the week leading up to completing the survey. The survey found four in 10 (40.6%) men with an NFQ Level 6 qualification or below and six in 10 (60.3%) women with an NFQ Level 6 qualification or below reported that they did no vigorous exercise in the week before completing the survey (See Figure 5.2).
Respondents were specifically asked if they were ever diagnosed with depression or anxiety by a doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist (See Figure 5.3). When interviewed at age 20, under two in ten respondents said they had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety with more women than men having such a diagnosis. At age 25, rates of diagnoses had increased. A quarter of respondents (25%) said they had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety compared with 58.6% without such a diagnosis. Although rates of diagnoses have increased over time for both women and men, the gap between the sexes in a diagnosis of depression or anxiety has also increased. Over three in 10 (31.5%) women reported a depression or anxiety diagnosis compared with less than two in 10 (18.3%) men.
Level of education was a factor in distinguishing between those with and without a diagnosis of depression or anxiety (See Figure 5.3). More than three in ten (33.2%) of those with an NFQ Level 6 qualification or below had been diagnosed compared with less than two in ten (19.5%) of those who had achieved an NFQ Level 7 or higher qualification. Women without a completed higher education qualification had a high rate of diagnosis at 43.7%, while this figure was 23.5% for women with an NFQ Level 7 qualification or higher. Men with a higher-level education reported lower rates of an anxiety or depression diagnosis (15.3%) compared with women with the same level of education (23.5%).
Self-Esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Scale (See Background Notes for further information). When interviewed at age 20, more than eight in 10 respondents reported levels of self-esteem that would be categorized as normal with over one in ten respondents reporting self-esteem that would be categorized as low.
At age 25 (See Table 5.2), levels of low self-esteem had seen an increase: around six in ten respondents (64.9%) reported self-esteem that would be categorized as normal and two in ten respondents (20.9%) reported self-esteem that would be categorized as low.
At age 20, women reported low self-esteem more frequently than men, with nearly two in ten women reporting low self-esteem compared with just over one in ten men. At age 25, although for both men and women the rates of reporting low self-esteem increased, there remained a gap between men and women. Women reported low self-esteem (23.5%) more often than men (18.2%). This sex difference was possibly underpinned by the difference between women without an NFQ Level 7 minimum equivalent qualification and those with such a qualification. Over one-third (34.5%) of women without a higher education recorded a score of low self-esteem compared with 16.1% of women with a higher education, which was a lower percentage than for men (for whom no such difference in education level was noted).
Stress was measured using the DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) stress subscale (See Background Notes for further information). Based on this measure, at age 20, around a quarter of respondents had higher than normal stress levels, with just over three out of every 100 respondents categorised as having the highest levels of stress. Moderate or high levels of stress were higher for women compared with men.
At age 25, using the same measure, almost three in ten (29.2%) respondents had higher than normal levels with nearly five out of every 100 respondents (4.9%) having the most severe levels (See Table 5.3). Over one in five (21.9%) women reported moderate or higher levels of stress, compared with 15.3% of men who reported the same levels.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) scale measures hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption (See Background Notes for further information). Based on this measure, just over two in five of this group at age 20 reported levels of drinking that could be categorised as risky or hazardous.
At age 25, this figure had decreased slightly to just under two in five (39%) of respondents who reported a level of drinking that could be considered risky or hazardous compared with 40.1% of respondents who recorded a non-hazardous level of drinking (See Table 5.4). Men (44.5%) recorded a risky or hazardous level of drinking more frequently than women (33.6%).
There were education and sex related differences in levels of drinking. Higher levels of education were associated with increased levels of risky or hazardous drinking, particularly for men. Educated men were most at risk of hazardous consumption of alcohol with 51.2% of males falling into the category of hazardous alcohol consumption. Women educated to an NFQ Level 6 qualification or below were least at risk of consuming hazardous amounts of alcohol (25.4%).
Smokers were defined as those who stated they smoked frequently or occasionally. Those who vaped were defined as those who used an electronic cigarette at least once a month.
Just over one-fifth (21.2%) of respondents smoked either frequently or occasionally while a very similar proportion vaped at least once a month (21.5%; See Figure 5.4).
Nearly one in ten (9.3%) respondents both vaped and smoked. Men smoked at higher rates than women (23.6% compared with 18.9%), but rates of vaping were relatively similar between the sexes (22.1% of women compared with 20.7% of men).
Slightly over half (51.3%) of respondents said they neither smoked nor vaped (51.4% of women and 51.2% of men).
Education was a factor in smoking and vaping in that 57.1% of those with a degree or equivalent said they neither smoked or vaped compared with 42.8% without a degree or equivalent.
When this group were surveyed at age 20, cannabis was the most frequently tried drug. Cocaine had been tried by approximately one-fifth of respondents.
At age 25, respondents were specifically asked about cannabis usage, followed by a separate question concerning other non-prescription drug use. Cannabis remained a frequently tried drug; over half (56.6%) of respondents said they had tried it once or twice, used to take cannabis, or were current users (See Table 5.5). One in seven (14.2%) respondents said they were current cannabis users. Slightly more men (16.1%) than women (12.3%) said they were current cannabis users. Those who had at least an NFQ Level 7 or equivalent qualification and those who did not reported comparable rates of cannabis use (14.3% of those with such a qualification compared with 14.0% of those without).
When asked about other non-prescription drug use, (See Figure 5.5), just over one-fifth (21.4%) of respondents said they had used cocaine at least once in the year prior to the survey. This was followed by ecstasy (10.7% said they had used it at least once in the last year), ketamine (9.7%), and magic mushrooms (6.9%). Almost six in ten (58.9%) respondents said they had not taken any non-prescription drugs in the last year.
Cocaine usage in the last year was more common for men (24.3%) than for women (18.6%) (See Table 5.6). Levels of education were not a factor in cocaine use (See Table 5.6).
Respondents to the Cohort '98 at age 25 survey were asked if they had ever participated in any kind of gambling activities and whether they had done this in person or online. Overall, 50.7% said they had engaged in gambling in person – either in the form of lotto tickets, scratch cards, casino tables, bingo, cards, video games or betting on horse races or other sporting events (See Figure 5.6). The equivalent figure for online gambling was 41.3%. Most respondents who gambled said they had gambled both online and in person (34.5%), while just over a quarter (26.3%) stated they had never gambled.
Men and women said they gambled in equal proportions (58.8% of men compared with 56.4% of women). However, more men (45.8%) tended to have taken part in online gambling compared with 37.0% of women. Levels of education were not a factor in gambling patterns.
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