THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL SET OF CHILD WELL-BEING INDICATORS IRELAND Sinéad Hanafin, PhD Anne-Marie Brooks.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL SET OF CHILD WELL-BEING

INDICATORSIRELAND

Sinéad Hanafin, PhD

Anne-Marie Brooks

Provide an overview of: the approach used to develop the

national set of child well-being indicators in Ireland; and

the characteristics of the national set of child well-being indicators, including guiding definitions, guiding principles and selection criteria

Highlight key considerations and challenges when reporting on child well-being.

CHILD WELL-BEING CHILD WELL-BEING INDICATORSINDICATORSPresentation overviewPresentation overview

Data-driven

Policy-driven

Theory-driven

CHILD WELL-BEING CHILD WELL-BEING INDICATORSINDICATORSApproaches to indicator developmentApproaches to indicator development

‘Healthy and successful individual functioning, positive relationships and a social ecology that providers safety, human and civil rights, social justice and participation in civil society’

(Andrews et al., 2002, P. 103)

CHILD WELL-BEING CHILD WELL-BEING INDICATORSINDICATORSGuiding definition of well-beingGuiding definition of well-being

Go beyond basic survival in its representation of well-being

Focus on positive as well as negative aspects of children’s lives

Take account of the experience of childhood in itself

Include some of the new domains of child well-being

WELL-BEING INDICATORSWELL-BEING INDICATORSGuiding principlesGuiding principles

Comprehensive coverage Children of all ages Clear and comprehensible Positive outcomes Forward-looking Rigorous methods Geographically detailed Cost-efficient Reflective of social goals

WELL-BEING INDICATORSWELL-BEING INDICATORSGuiding selection criteriaGuiding selection criteria

1. A background review of indicators sets in use elsewhere and the compilation of an inventory of key indicators, domains and indicator selection criteria;

2. A feasibility study of the availability of national statistics to construct the indicators identified in the previous step;

3. A study on Children’s Understandings of Well-Being; and

4. A consensus process referred to as a Delphi technique, where participants on ‘a panel of expertise’ agreed indicators for use in the Irish context.

CHILD WELL-BEING CHILD WELL-BEING INDICATORSINDICATORSIreland’s approach to indicator Ireland’s approach to indicator developmentdevelopment

42 child well-being indicators7 socio-demographic indicators

4 to be developed• Pets and animals• Quality of early childhood care and

education• Values and respect• Nutritional outcomes

WELL-BEING INDICATORSWELL-BEING INDICATORSOutcomeOutcome

95.8% agreed that the indicator set included measures that assess well-being across a broad range of domains including:

Abuse and maltreatmentHousingOut of home placementsHealth conditions and healthcareEconomic securityEarly childhood care and educationEnvironment and placesMental health (incl. self-reported happiness)

NutritionParticipation in decision-makingPublic expenditure on services for children Children’s relationships Self-esteemSexual health and behaviourThings to doUse of tobacco, alcohol or drugsValues and respect

SELECTION CRITERIASELECTION CRITERIAComprehensive Comprehensive

83.3% agreed that the indicator set included enough measures for children of every age from birth through to adolescence including:

The number of births within each 500g-weight interval, expressed as a proportion of all registered live and stillbirths.

The number of children under 5 in various early childcare and education arrangements,

The number of children in age categories 8-11 and 12-17 who report to feel happy with the way they are.

SELECTION CRITERIASELECTION CRITERIAChildren of all agesChildren of all ages

93.8% agreed that the indicator set included enough negative measures and enough positive measures of well-being including:

The number of children referred to the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme, expressed as a proportion of all children.

The number of children aged 11, 13 and 15 who report that students participate in making the rules at their school.

SELECTION CRITERIASELECTION CRITERIAPositive and negative Positive and negative

90.0% agreed that the indicator set

included enough objective measures and enough subjective measures of well-being:

The number of children living in households with a household income below the national 60% median, equivalised using the modified OECD equivalence scale, expressed as a proportion of all children.

The number of children aged 11, 13 and 15 who report to be happy with their life at present, expressed as a proportion of all children in the same age groups.

SELECTION CRITERIASELECTION CRITERIAObjective and subjective Objective and subjective

DEVLOPMENTSDEVLOPMENTS

Middle childhood period HBSC Survey and Growing Up in Ireland –

the National Longitudinal Study

Maximisation of existing data sources Inclusion of markers, e.g. disability and

ethnicity in surveys

Development of new data sources, e.g.: Surveillance of Obesity of Irish Children Quality of ECCE and pets and animals data

Children’s Data Strategy State of the Nations Children Reports

REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-BEING BEING ConsiderationsConsiderations

Indicators need to be available over time

International comparisons are needed

Information on subgroups is needed

REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-BEING BEING Indicators need to be available over Indicators need to be available over timetime

E.g. Decrease in infant mortality rate:

3.7 per 1,000 in 20065.6 per 1,000 in 2002

REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-BEING BEING Indicators need to be available over Indicators need to be available over timetime

Challenges:E.g. Health Behaviour of School-Going Children data collected on four-yearly interval

State of the Nations Children Report (2006)

0

5

10

15

20

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-BEING BEING International comparisons are neededInternational comparisons are needed

E.g.: infant mortality rate:

Ireland:3.7 per 1,000 in 2006 5.6 per 1,000 in 2002

Sweden and Finland:2.8 per 1,000 in 2006

REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-BEING BEING International comparisons are neededInternational comparisons are needed

Challenges: Variation in socio-demographic variables

used across countries

Variation in definitions used across countries e.g. in Ireland the first trimester of

pregnancy is defined as up to 12 weeks under the National Perinatal Reporting System, while the World Health Organisation defines the first trimester as up to 14 weeks.

Variation in data quality and timeliness across countries

29.8

30.3

41.5

42.0

44.1

47.5

52.2

55.9

61.4

67.8

70.9

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0

Semi-skilled Manual Workers

Unemployed

Non-Manual Workers

Home Duties

Other Non-Manual Workers

State

Salaried Employees

Managers

Skilled Manual Workers

Lower Professional

Higher Professional

% of infants who are breastfed (either exclusive or combined) on discharge from hospital

E.g. Breastfeeding levels across mother’s occupation

REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-BEING BEING Information on sub-groups is Information on sub-groups is neededneeded

REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-REPORTING ON CHILD WELL-BEING BEING Information on sub-groups is Information on sub-groups is neededneeded

Challenges: Not all data is capable of dissagregration

by Age, Sex, social class, geographic location, or

other important variables (e.g. Traveller Children, Non-Irish National Children, Asylum Seeking Children etc)

Not all data sources have national coverage e.g. National Physical and Sensory Disability

Database has 70 per cent coverage

Variations in geographic variables used across data sources

e.g. Health Board Region, NUTS Regions, Local Authority Areas

Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Department of Health and Children Hawkins House

Dublin 2, Ireland

Tel: + 353-1-6743200

[email protected]

www.childrensdatabase.ie