A new IPH report estimates that over half of 7 year-olds (53.2%) in Northern Ireland have one or more longstanding health conditions. The report published Wednesday 9th December 2015 found that asthma (22.9%) and eczema (26%) were the most common conditions reported by carers followed by sight (16.8%) and hearing (8.3%) problems. 

The report found that the burden of these health conditions is unequally distributed with significant inequalities apparent across the 7 year-old population. Factors associated with these inequalities included socio-economic conditions, carer health, educational attainment of carers and differences in maternal health behaviours. 

The findings are based on analysis of the fourth wave of the Northern Ireland Millennium Cohort Study which followed the health of 1,370 children and their families when children were aged 7 years-old.