Folkhälsan Research Center

11/06/2026

Today we had our annual lab cleaning day. Lots of work but also lots of fun.

A big thank you to everyone who helped out! And yes, the pizzas made the effort even more worthwhile.

08/06/2026

Samfundet Folkhälsan blir medlem i WHO:s europeiska nätverk för hälsofrämjande fysisk aktivitet.

– Det är mycket värdefullt för Samfundet Folkhälsan att vara en del av HEPA Europe. Genom nätverket kan vi dela med oss av vår forskning och våra erfarenheter från Finland, bland annat kring barns utelek, vardagsmiljöer som stöder rörelse och ungas välbefinnande och aktivt åldrande. Vi får också ta del av kunskap och goda exempel från andra länder. Det stärker vårt arbete med att förstå hur fysisk aktivitet kan bidra till hjärnhälsa, delaktighet och livskvalitet i olika livsskeden säger projektforskare Josefine Kailaheimo-Björkqvist.

Samfundet Folkhälsan i svenska Finland rf har blivit medlem i HEPA Europe, WHO:s europeiska nätverk för hälsofrämjande fysisk aktivitet. Medlemskapet är ett viktigt steg i arbetet för att främja rörelse och hjärnhälsa i olika livsskeden och stärker Folkhälsans möjligheter att delta i e...

08/06/2026

🎩 Jasmine Gustafsson successfully defended her doctoral dissertation titled “The Role of Social Positions, Social Support, and Online Interaction in Shaping Well-Being – Examining Subgroups of Nordic Adolescents”. Congratulations Dr. Gustafsson!

🔎 The Nordic countries are currently facing significant challenges, one of which is the decline in adolescent well-being. My thesis examined the multifaceted nature of social support, the evolving online landscape of social interactions, and the role of multiple social positions in shaping adolescent well-being in the Nordic countries. For this purpose, I utilized two cross-sectional datasets from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, which included self-report surveys targeting adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15. The first survey was conducted in 2017/2018, and the second in 2021/2022, with each survey having a sample size of over 22,000 adolescents.

🔎 The findings showed that adolescents gain the most from social support perceived from a variety of sources, including family, peers, teachers, and classmates. However, if support from one source is lacking, it can be partially compensated for by support from another source. In the post-pandemic context, adolescents experiencing high levels of loneliness are particularly at risk for poorer well-being across various outcomes, and the importance of teacher support for their well-being seems to have grown. In addition, when evaluating the well-being risks associated with adolescents’ online engagement, my thesis suggests that it is essential to consider the quality of their offline social networks, as adolescents who are highly active online and perceive strong support from family and friends report better well-being than those who view their social support as weak.

🔎 Lastly, my thesis highlights the complexity of adolescents’ social group memberships (e.g., gender, socioeconomic status, nonimmigrant/immigrant status) and illustrates that focusing solely on single social categories does not sufficiently capture the inequalities in well-being.

Valtiotieteellinen tiedekunta / Faculty of Social Sciences

🔗 Full text: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-84-2423-9

29/05/2026

Jasmine Gustafsson will defend her doctoral dissertation titled “The Role of Social Positions, Social Support, and Online Interaction in Shaping Well-Being – Examining Subgroups of Nordic Adolescents” on 5 June at 12:00 EEST, at the University of Helsinki Main Building, Karolina Eskelin (U3032), Fabianinkatu 33, Helsinki.
Valtiotieteellinen tiedekunta / Faculty of Social Sciences
🔗 Full text: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-84-2423-9

27/05/2026

As people live longer, many move into senior housing communities where they can receive support while maintaining independence. But what actually helps older adults stay active and engaged in everyday life? This study explored how a sense of community and social participation are linked to active aging among residents in senior housing.

The results showed a clear pattern. Older adults who felt a stronger sense of belonging and connection to others were more active in their daily lives. Those who participated more frequently in social activities also reported higher levels of active aging. The associations were more pronounced among men than women.

By prioritizing social engagement alongside physical and medical care, housing providers and decision-makers can create environments that better sustain well-being among older adults.

As people live longer, many move into senior housing communities where they can receive support while maintaining independence. But what actually helps older adults stay active and engaged in everyday life? This study explored how a sense of community and social participation are linked to active ag...

26/05/2026

The Health Promotion Research Group has secured funding from the Research Council of Finland for a new project on increasing physical activity among adolescents in Finland. The researchers will work together with young people, schools and families to find ways to create everyday environments that support physical activity, particularly for those who are currently least active.

– We are focusing on contexts that have previously been overlooked, including rural areas in Finland, and also Swedish-speaking populations, says project researcher Josefine Kailaheimo-Björkqvist.

The evaluation panel specifically highlighted the project’s design. One of its strengths is the collaboration with stakeholders and participants.

– They thought that both the co-design workshops and the photovoice concept were innovative approaches to research, which have not been done very much before in Finland, says senior scientist Eva Roos.

The Health Promotion Research Group at Folkhälsan Research Center has secured funding from the Research Council of Finland for a new project on increasing physical activity among adolescents in Finland. The researchers will work together with young people, schools and families to find ways to creat...

25/05/2026

Osteoporosis is a multifactorial disease with a strong genetic component. Pathogenic variants in the SGMS2 gene cause a rare form of primary osteoporosis, “Calvarial doughnut lesions with bone fragility” (CDL). Since the mechanisms by which disrupted SGMS2 lead to skeletal fragility are still largely unknown, we set out to explore the gene’s function in a zebrafish model.

Our findings from zebrafish studies provide new information on the SGMS2 gene’s function and its role in early musculoskeletal development. The obtained zebrafish model may prove helpful in understanding the disease mechanisms in SGMS2-related osteoporosis (CDL) and in discovering new therapies for osteoporosis.

Utilizing CRISPR-Cas13d-knockdown in zebrafish to study a rare monogenic bone fragility syndrome

22/05/2026

Frailty is a state of diminished physiological reserve leading to increased vulnerability and slower recovery from illness or injury. In this research article we explore the relationship between frailty and health outcomes in adults with type 1 diabetes, a disease associated with signs of accelerated biological ageing.

Our results suggest that incorporating frailty assessments into routine care could enhance risk stratification, help identify vulnerable individuals, and support personalized treatment plans for individuals with type 1 diabetes.

Frailty outperforms conventional risk factors for predicting complications and death in type 1 diabetes

20/05/2026

In myopathies, muscle function is impaired and the primary symptom is muscle weakness. We have studied myosin function in the context of myopathies and more specifically how dysfunctional myosin affects resting energy expenditure. This article focused on X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) – a rare, often fatal skeletal muscle disorder caused by mutations in the myotubularin gene. Its underlying disease mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Our findings identify myosin dysfunction as a contributor to XLMTM – similarly to what we have seen in nemaline myopathy – and highlight myosin as a potential drug target. Our broader goal is to investigate whether this myosin dysfunction is a wider phenomenon shared across neuromuscular disorders. If so, myosin-modulating drugs could be beneficial for a larger group of patients.
Myofin Research Group

Myosin inhibition partially rescues the myofibre proteome in X-linked myotubular myopathy

19/05/2026

Parents can shape children’s eating both through everyday actions around food – like offering vegetables or letting children help in the kitchen – and through their general parenting style.

Children ate more vegetables when parents made them easy to access at meals but allowed children to decide what and how much to take. In contrast, children ate less vegetables when parents were more overprotective – meaning overly involved or controlling in ways that don’t match the child’s developmental level.
DAGISresearch

Children ate less vegetables when parents were more overprotective.