Commuter towns buck downwards health trend

IRISH people are feeling less happy with their health, according to the latest census data.

Fewer people claimed to be enjoying “good” or “very good’” health in 2016, compared with the census five years earlier.

However, the residents of growing commuter towns, which tend to be home to younger families, reported the overall highest satisfaction with their health status.

In 2011, 88.3pc of the population reported they enjoyed robust health, which dropped to 87pc in 2016.

In some towns, one in 33 residents reports having “bad’”or “very bad” health.

Nationally, 1.6pc of the population claim to have bad or very bad health. This is a slight fall on 2011 when the figure stood at 1.51pc. But 3.3pc of people in Kilrush, Co Clare, are in poor health, along with 3.22pc in Ballaghadereen, Co Roscommon.

Five towns across the State have rates above 3pc, with the highest percentage increase in Macroom, Co Cork, up 157.7pc.

This equates to an additional 71 people reporting bad or very bad health.

The question is based on a self-assessment of health, meaning there is no medical evidence to back up the claim.

However, it does provide a useful indicator on how people perceive their health status.

The analysis compares results from 2011 and 2016 and shows that about 90pc of the population of 40 towns and villages across the State report having good or very good health.

The highest satisfaction rate with health is in Stamullen, Co Meath, at 93.47pc, followed by Bearna, Co Galway, at 93.4pc.

In 91 towns, satisfaction rates are above the national average for good or very good health of 87pc.

In percentage terms, the highest improvement is seen in Rathcoole, Co Dublin, with a 28.13pc rise.

In Maynooth, Co Kildare, the figure increased by 1,739 people, up 15.44pc – the highest increase in absolute numbers.

The rate of people reporting good or very good health fell in 52 towns from a total of 162. The sharpest decline was in Birr, Co Offaly, where it fell by 27.2pc (1,362 people) to an average of 83.8pc.

In Connacht, four of the top five healthiest towns are in Galway – Bearna, Oranmore, Athenry and Moycullen, all of which are growing commuter towns.

The bottom three are all in Roscommon: Castlerea, Boyle and Ballaghaderreen.

In Leinster, the Meath towns of Stamullen, Ratoath and Dunboyne are healthiest. Edgeworthstown and Ballymahon in Longford, and Mountrath in Laois are bottom.

In Munster, Rathcormac and Carrigaline in Cork come out tops, with Bantry in Cork and Kilrush in Clare at the bottom. In Ulster, the highest are in Kingscourt and Virginia in Cavan, the lowest in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.