Objective: Policy development is the biggest gap for health-promoting sports clubs. The present study aims to identify Irish sports club's involvement in health promotion (HP) policy development. Design: Mixed methods concurrent survey design, with quantitative data providing insights into priorities, activities and documentation and qualitative…

Background: Physical activity (PA) is considered an important factor affecting academic achievement (AA). Different intensities of PA affect mental engagement (ME), which, in turn, affects AA. However, the role of ME in the relationship between PA and AA remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to examine the mediating and/or moderating role…

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a practical food skills and nutrition education workshop and investigate the attitudes towards, and knowledge of, nutrition among young amateur Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) players. Design and method: A quantitative study using a pre-/post-intervention study design assessed nutritional knowledge, food…

Objective: To examine the impact of a self-determination theory-informed school-based lunchtime games intervention on wellbeing and symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescent girls in Ireland. Design: Non-randomised controlled intervention design. Method: This self-determination theory-informed intervention consisted of lunchtime games…

Background: Schools are well recognised as critical contexts for the promotion of mental health and well-being and offer the potential to reach a large number of children at an early age, at a time when they are developing important attitudes and behaviours that may influence their future health. Ensuing from a number of large-scale…

Objective: Prior research has noted Olympic and Paralympic athletes are often unaware and unprepared for upcoming career transitions, resulting in experiences of psychological distress. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of digital video as a delivery method for psychoeducation about an upcoming career transition. Design: Post-survey…

Objective: The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is part of the cultural fabric of Irish society with a club in almost every community nationwide. The aim of this project was to carry out a pilot evaluation of the GAA Healthy Club Project (HCP), which is a unique effort by a national governing body to include health as part of the core business of…

Background: Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is generally considered to be a key determinant of the treatment outcomes and related costs of diabetes mellitus. While DSME programmes generally have positive outcomes, their effects may depend on certain factors, such as the type of programmes provided and patients' level of health literacy…

Objective: This paper presents findings of a qualitative study which explored children and young people's understanding of health and the factors that contribute, or act as barriers, to healthy lifestyles. Views were elicited from consultations with children and young people as part of the process for the development of a National Obesity Policy…

Background: Existing literature indicates that young people in state care have particular sexual health needs that include addressing their social and emotional well-being, yet little has been published as to how these components of sex education are actually delivered by service-providers. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the…

Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of a one-day mental health Wellness Workshop on participants' mental health and attitudes towards mental health. Design: Convergent, longitudinal mixed-methods approach. Setting: The study evaluated Wellness Workshops which took place throughout the Republic of Ireland. Method: Questionnaires measuring…

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate a Health Service Executive (HSE) Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion (FPSHP) with a specific emphasis on capacity building. Design: A mixed-method design using both quantitative and qualitative methods was used to collect the data. Setting: The FPSHP was delivered to staff working in…

Objective: The aim of this evaluation was to determine the cultural and educational appropriateness of a pilot asthma education programme developed for the Traveller and Roma community in Ireland. Design: A participatory multi-stakeholder and qualitative approach. Setting: Prevalence and inadequate control of asthma have been found to be high…

Objective: To use a model of health learning to examine the role of health-learning capacity and the effect of a school-based oral health education intervention (Winning Smiles) on the health outcome, child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL). Setting: Primary schools, high social deprivation, Ireland/Northern Ireland. Design: Cluster…

Objective: This paper reports on the use of child participatory approaches to evaluate the implementation and impact of the "Zippy's Friends" emotional wellbeing programme on children in disadvantaged primary schools in Ireland. Design: As part of the overall evaluation study, which comprised a clustered randomised controlled trial,…