ABSTRACT Seasonal changes in mood and behavior have been reported among general population as wel... more ABSTRACT Seasonal changes in mood and behavior have been reported among general population as well as among adolescents in the Northern hemisphere. The aim of the current study was to examine how the level of school well-being varies during the school year and how the seasonal effect shows on seventh, eighth and ninth grades. The data consisted of all lower secondary schools who used the theory based School Well-being Profile questionnaire during the school years 2007–2009 (N = 10,913) in Finland. Pupils perceived their well-being highest in three well-being categories (school conditions, social relationships, means for self-fulfilment) during the period lasting from middle of October until end of December. Health status was perceived lowest from the middle of March to the end of May. The level of well-being was highest among seventh graders and lowest among ninth graders. Pedagogical planning and health promotion interventions should be planned to strengthen the well-being of pupils especially at the end of the school year.
... Matti Rimpelä, Matti Rimpelä is a Research Professor in the National Research and Development... more ... Matti Rimpelä, Matti Rimpelä is a Research Professor in the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki ... reason may be related either to individual vulnerability towards the formation of addictions, or to socialisation with substance-using peers. ...
Frameworks concerning school health and well-being, like the Health Promoting School and the Coor... more Frameworks concerning school health and well-being, like the Health Promoting School and the Coordinated School Health Programme, have been available for some time. However, the indicators of well-being studies and the comprehensive frameworks have not met. The main aim of the present study was to test the use of the theoretically based School Well-being Profile to clarify the aspects of well-being in schools and to test if the Profile could be used to identify differences in well-being between classes in school. The data were collected in connection with the Koulumiete Project in Finland; 1346 pupils and 69 classes from grades seven to nine were included in the present data. In the school conditions category, the physical conditions that most needed improvement were ventilation, toilet facilities and temperature. Time pressure was also reported widely. Concerning social relationships, teachers' interest in how pupils are doing and teachers' fair treatment were the aspects calling for attention. In the means for self-fulfillment category pupils' participation in school development was a key area for reform. The most prevalent psychosomatic symptoms in the health status category were headache and feeling tired or weak. The School Well-being Profile seemed to work well when evaluating well-being differences between classes. By utilizing the results locally, the school personnel can act to develop their own school. The Profile could be used as a tool when planning and evaluating well-being and mental health promotion interventions in schools.
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore the variation of general subjective well-being on i... more ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore the variation of general subjective well-being on individual and school levels. The classroom survey data of the School Health Promotion Survey (SHPS) were gathered in 1998 ( N = 39 886) and in 1999 ( N = 47 455) in different parts of Finland. The subjects were 8th and 9th graders from 458 secondary schools. Well-being was measured using the General Subjective Well-being Indicator (GSWI). The variation was studied using linear multilevel modeling. One percent of the variation in GSW occurred at the school level. The great majority of subjective well-being variation occurred between pupils.
To test if changes in national alcohol policy have had an impact on alcohol use among 12- to 18-y... more To test if changes in national alcohol policy have had an impact on alcohol use among 12- to 18-year-old adolescents in Finland over a 30-year period. Frequencies of drinking any amounts of alcohol and drinking alcohol until really drunk from bi-annual repeated cross-sectional surveys from 1981 to 2011 were examined against a national alcohol policy review using nationally representative samples of 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-year-old adolescents (n = 99,724) in Finland. Twelve-year-olds' alcohol drinking remained rare throughout the period. Drinking among 18-year-olds generally increased throughout the period. Significant increases until the late 1990s and decreases thereafter were observed in 14- and 16-year-olds' drinking patterns. A sharp increase was predicted between 2003 and 2005 as a result of EU-related processes, but instead decrease was observed among 14-16-year-olds. The tests of hypothesized decrease from 2005 to 2011 due to tightening alcohol policy including several tax raises produced mixed results. Alcohol policy changes between 1981 and 2011 seem not to have had noticeable influence on alcohol drinking or drunkenness among the under-aged in Finland. Conspicuous increases seen in population total consumption in association with EU-related developments have not materialized among adolescents.
Alcoholic beverage type choices were studied in relation to adolescents' substance use patterns a... more Alcoholic beverage type choices were studied in relation to adolescents' substance use patterns and attitudes towards substance use, utilizing the national 1999 Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey data (N = 4943) collected among Finns aged 14 and 16 years by mail. Frequencies of drinking, drunkenness and smoking, and chewing tobacco use as well as attitudes towards substance use and exposure to other drugs were all strongly related to beverage type choices. The amount of alcohol consumed was associated with the beverage choice. The relationships between beverage choices and substance use patterns were partly mediated through amounts drunk. Beverage type choices seemed to reflect substance use patterns and attitudes more generally. Wine and cider appeared beverages related to moderation and control in relation to substance use, but beer drinking may be interpreted as a sign of initiation into a substance use pattern favoring smoking and heavier use of alcohol and other drugs.
This article explores changes in the money Finnish young people aged 12–18 years have at their di... more This article explores changes in the money Finnish young people aged 12–18 years have at their disposal, over a 26-year period 1977–2003. Previous studies suggest that the amount of money young people have is not necessarily dependent on traditional socio-economic variables, but there are no systematic studies on the development of the disposable income of the teenagers. The analyses of this study are based on a series of 14 biannual nationally representative surveys of 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-year-olds in Finland from 1977 to 2003, with a total of 84 404 respondents. Time-trends are shown and analysed by gender, family structure, place of residence and socio-economic status of family using analysis of variance and linear regression modelling. The results show that teenagers’ disposable money has increased little between 1977 and 2003 in comparison with the general income development. Economic booms and depressions can be seen in rising and falling amounts of disposal money, particularly among 16- to 18-year-old respondents. There were also significant differences between the genders. Young boys clearly had more money at their disposal than young girls. Children of single parents had more money than their peers from nuclear families. Urban youth had more money than those living in the countryside and the difference increased during the period under examination. The socio-economic position of the family had little impact.
International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 2010
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare teachers' wellbeing in differen... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare teachers' wellbeing in different types of schools (elementary, lower secondary and unified school) and to analyze how gender, type of employment, working hours and time served as a teacher affected teachers' wellbeing and perceptions of questions concerning leadership practices and work organization in school. Design/methodology/approach – The holistic school wellbeing
For years, the WHO has, in accordance with the 'settings' idea, encouraged a whole school... more For years, the WHO has, in accordance with the 'settings' idea, encouraged a whole school approach when trying to promote health and well-being in schools. This developmental study analyses the implementation and pilot phase experiences of a holistic well-being evaluation tool for schools, the School Well-being Profile, on the Internet. The Profile is based on the theoretically established School Well-being Model. The School Well-being Profile consists of electronic survey forms and an automatic facility that analyses and produces results on the data in graphic and numeric form. After the data has been entered, the primary user within the school can immediately view and print out the results. The figures can be compared with the averages of all schools to pinpoint areas where well-being is different from that in the other schools. The Profile resides on a Finnish National Board of Education server (www2.edu.fi/hyvinvointiprofiili) and its use is free of charge for all school...
ABSTRACT Seasonal changes in mood and behavior have been reported among general population as wel... more ABSTRACT Seasonal changes in mood and behavior have been reported among general population as well as among adolescents in the Northern hemisphere. The aim of the current study was to examine how the level of school well-being varies during the school year and how the seasonal effect shows on seventh, eighth and ninth grades. The data consisted of all lower secondary schools who used the theory based School Well-being Profile questionnaire during the school years 2007–2009 (N = 10,913) in Finland. Pupils perceived their well-being highest in three well-being categories (school conditions, social relationships, means for self-fulfilment) during the period lasting from middle of October until end of December. Health status was perceived lowest from the middle of March to the end of May. The level of well-being was highest among seventh graders and lowest among ninth graders. Pedagogical planning and health promotion interventions should be planned to strengthen the well-being of pupils especially at the end of the school year.
... Matti Rimpelä, Matti Rimpelä is a Research Professor in the National Research and Development... more ... Matti Rimpelä, Matti Rimpelä is a Research Professor in the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki ... reason may be related either to individual vulnerability towards the formation of addictions, or to socialisation with substance-using peers. ...
Frameworks concerning school health and well-being, like the Health Promoting School and the Coor... more Frameworks concerning school health and well-being, like the Health Promoting School and the Coordinated School Health Programme, have been available for some time. However, the indicators of well-being studies and the comprehensive frameworks have not met. The main aim of the present study was to test the use of the theoretically based School Well-being Profile to clarify the aspects of well-being in schools and to test if the Profile could be used to identify differences in well-being between classes in school. The data were collected in connection with the Koulumiete Project in Finland; 1346 pupils and 69 classes from grades seven to nine were included in the present data. In the school conditions category, the physical conditions that most needed improvement were ventilation, toilet facilities and temperature. Time pressure was also reported widely. Concerning social relationships, teachers' interest in how pupils are doing and teachers' fair treatment were the aspects calling for attention. In the means for self-fulfillment category pupils' participation in school development was a key area for reform. The most prevalent psychosomatic symptoms in the health status category were headache and feeling tired or weak. The School Well-being Profile seemed to work well when evaluating well-being differences between classes. By utilizing the results locally, the school personnel can act to develop their own school. The Profile could be used as a tool when planning and evaluating well-being and mental health promotion interventions in schools.
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore the variation of general subjective well-being on i... more ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore the variation of general subjective well-being on individual and school levels. The classroom survey data of the School Health Promotion Survey (SHPS) were gathered in 1998 ( N = 39 886) and in 1999 ( N = 47 455) in different parts of Finland. The subjects were 8th and 9th graders from 458 secondary schools. Well-being was measured using the General Subjective Well-being Indicator (GSWI). The variation was studied using linear multilevel modeling. One percent of the variation in GSW occurred at the school level. The great majority of subjective well-being variation occurred between pupils.
To test if changes in national alcohol policy have had an impact on alcohol use among 12- to 18-y... more To test if changes in national alcohol policy have had an impact on alcohol use among 12- to 18-year-old adolescents in Finland over a 30-year period. Frequencies of drinking any amounts of alcohol and drinking alcohol until really drunk from bi-annual repeated cross-sectional surveys from 1981 to 2011 were examined against a national alcohol policy review using nationally representative samples of 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-year-old adolescents (n = 99,724) in Finland. Twelve-year-olds' alcohol drinking remained rare throughout the period. Drinking among 18-year-olds generally increased throughout the period. Significant increases until the late 1990s and decreases thereafter were observed in 14- and 16-year-olds' drinking patterns. A sharp increase was predicted between 2003 and 2005 as a result of EU-related processes, but instead decrease was observed among 14-16-year-olds. The tests of hypothesized decrease from 2005 to 2011 due to tightening alcohol policy including several tax raises produced mixed results. Alcohol policy changes between 1981 and 2011 seem not to have had noticeable influence on alcohol drinking or drunkenness among the under-aged in Finland. Conspicuous increases seen in population total consumption in association with EU-related developments have not materialized among adolescents.
Alcoholic beverage type choices were studied in relation to adolescents' substance use patterns a... more Alcoholic beverage type choices were studied in relation to adolescents' substance use patterns and attitudes towards substance use, utilizing the national 1999 Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey data (N = 4943) collected among Finns aged 14 and 16 years by mail. Frequencies of drinking, drunkenness and smoking, and chewing tobacco use as well as attitudes towards substance use and exposure to other drugs were all strongly related to beverage type choices. The amount of alcohol consumed was associated with the beverage choice. The relationships between beverage choices and substance use patterns were partly mediated through amounts drunk. Beverage type choices seemed to reflect substance use patterns and attitudes more generally. Wine and cider appeared beverages related to moderation and control in relation to substance use, but beer drinking may be interpreted as a sign of initiation into a substance use pattern favoring smoking and heavier use of alcohol and other drugs.
This article explores changes in the money Finnish young people aged 12–18 years have at their di... more This article explores changes in the money Finnish young people aged 12–18 years have at their disposal, over a 26-year period 1977–2003. Previous studies suggest that the amount of money young people have is not necessarily dependent on traditional socio-economic variables, but there are no systematic studies on the development of the disposable income of the teenagers. The analyses of this study are based on a series of 14 biannual nationally representative surveys of 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-year-olds in Finland from 1977 to 2003, with a total of 84 404 respondents. Time-trends are shown and analysed by gender, family structure, place of residence and socio-economic status of family using analysis of variance and linear regression modelling. The results show that teenagers’ disposable money has increased little between 1977 and 2003 in comparison with the general income development. Economic booms and depressions can be seen in rising and falling amounts of disposal money, particularly among 16- to 18-year-old respondents. There were also significant differences between the genders. Young boys clearly had more money at their disposal than young girls. Children of single parents had more money than their peers from nuclear families. Urban youth had more money than those living in the countryside and the difference increased during the period under examination. The socio-economic position of the family had little impact.
International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 2010
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare teachers' wellbeing in differen... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare teachers' wellbeing in different types of schools (elementary, lower secondary and unified school) and to analyze how gender, type of employment, working hours and time served as a teacher affected teachers' wellbeing and perceptions of questions concerning leadership practices and work organization in school. Design/methodology/approach – The holistic school wellbeing
For years, the WHO has, in accordance with the 'settings' idea, encouraged a whole school... more For years, the WHO has, in accordance with the 'settings' idea, encouraged a whole school approach when trying to promote health and well-being in schools. This developmental study analyses the implementation and pilot phase experiences of a holistic well-being evaluation tool for schools, the School Well-being Profile, on the Internet. The Profile is based on the theoretically established School Well-being Model. The School Well-being Profile consists of electronic survey forms and an automatic facility that analyses and produces results on the data in graphic and numeric form. After the data has been entered, the primary user within the school can immediately view and print out the results. The figures can be compared with the averages of all schools to pinpoint areas where well-being is different from that in the other schools. The Profile resides on a Finnish National Board of Education server (www2.edu.fi/hyvinvointiprofiili) and its use is free of charge for all school...
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