With almost three in four Irish people feeling healthy this year and 63 per cent of people now content with life, it’s clear that the intention to maintain healthy habits has prevailed since last year, the latest health report from Core Research shows. The study looked at physical health, diet and nutrition and mental health and well-being to make assessments.
Physical Health
Over half (53 per cent) of those surveyed are exercising regularly while monitoring their diet. Since the first Core health report in 2016 there has been a 25 per cent increase in people who exercise regularly, but don’t monitor their diet. A positive cultural change has seen people focus more on their mental well-being and enjoy food, and less on calorie-counting.
Walking is now the most popular form of fitness, with 90 per cent saying they do so for fitness. While in previous reports, running was among the top three exercises, there has been a 29 per cent drop in the number of women running to keep fit. The decrease is also reflected in cycling and point to the lack of safety some women feel when exercising outdoors.
Diet & Nutrition
One in three adults plan to reduce their meat consumption this year for a combination of ethical, environmental and personal health reasons. Almost one in two people say they are conscious of buying products with excessive packaging, with a further 23 per cent even more aware in 2023. Those most likely to reduce their meat intake are 18-24-year-olds and 45-54-year-olds.
Just over one third of these cohorts already do so and a further 14 per cent intend to try this year.
The report claims that 56 per cent of Irish people plan to cut down on their alcohol intake this year. Those aged 55 years and over are among the most likely to moderate their alcohol consumption (63 per cent), while 40 per cent of 18-24s are also conscious of their alcohol usage. Considering this age group are at risk of binge-drinking, it is a positive trend.
Mental Health & Well Being
As a nation, 84 per cent of people are mindful and aware of their mental health and consider it a key component of their overall well-being. While almost two thirds (63 per cent) say they are content with life or thriving, stress continues to play a big part in our everyday lives with 29 per cent saying they feel stressed this year.
Among the top key tools for managing well-being are talking to friends – 74 per cent; getting outdoors – 70 per cent; eating well – 66 per cent and good sleep – 57 per cent. The research revealed that there is a connection between the ability to express emotions and having more focus on personal well-being.
Those aged between 18-34 tend to struggle the most when it comes to expressing emotions and rank the lowest in mental well-being. The cohort also have the highest average screen times of eight hours 43 minutes. Finian Murphy, marketing director, Core, said it was encouraging to see Irish people prioritise personal health by embracing a wholistic approach.
Pictured above is a scene from the Aviva Healthcare TV ad created by Core
