Galway adults spend an average of more than €2,300 each on alcohol annually, according to research obtained during Hibernian Health’s National Health Screening campaign.
The initiative, which took place recently, aimed to raise awareness of the importance of regular health screening for adults.
The research outlined that Galway men consume twice as much alcohol as their female counterparts. However, more alarmingly local men were three times more likely to receive an alert from the screening tool advising them to visit their GP immediately.
On the subject of exercise, Galway’s men and women were on a par but for all of the wrong reasons. A quarter of men and women surveyed admitted to taking no exercise what soever.
Deirdre Ashe, marketing director of Hibernian Health, says the company is focused on looking out for its members.
“This is why we are raising awareness of the importance of health screens as vital in ongoing management of health. Regular screening can lead to the early detection of serious disease and be critical in terms of recovery.
“Galway adults are encouraged to take a proactive approach to their health by ensuring that they have an annual health screen. We are calling on everyone to take the first step by doing our free on-line health check.”
Early detection is critical to the diagnosis and treatment of many illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes, she says.
Hibernian Health is encouraging adults to take a proactive approach by undergoing one of the many health screening options available. Screening services are available at pharmacies, GP surgeries and local clinics.
A health screen will assess risk of developing cardiac problems by checking body mass index and testing cholesterol levels and blood pressure. It will also assess kidney, liver and lung functions as well as provide advice on cancer awareness, diet and weight management, stress management and osteoporosis prevention.
Hibernian Health developed a unique online health screening tool which is available at www.hibernian.ie/health and can be used by people to perform a preliminary screening to help assess their health. This tool analyses data input by users and gives them a health score based on answers they give across a variety of topics including alcohol consumption, exercise and smoking. An alert system has also been installed that advises users who score poorly that they should pay a visit to their GP.
