Nuoruusiän vanhempisuhteiden, päihteidenkäytön ja koulukokemusten yhteys varhaisaikuisuuden mielenterveyteen

Seurantatutkimuksessa selvitettiin 14-vuotiaiden nuorten vanhempisuhteiden, päihteidenkäytön ja koulukokemuksien yhteyttä mielenterveyteen 24-vuotiaana. Ensimmäinen aineisto kerättiin vuonna 1996 strukturoidulla kyselylomakkeella Itä-Suomen läänissä yläkouluikäisiltä nuorilta (n=233). Mielenterveyttä kuvaava seuranta-aineisto kerättiin samoilta henkilöitä kyselylomakkeella (SCL-90–oiremittari) vuonna 2006 (n=150). Vastausprosentti oli 64,4. Mielenterveysoireet olivat yleisiä varhaisaikuisuudessa, naisilla kaikkia oireita oli miehiä enemmän. Poikien riitainen suhde äitiin ja isään sekä tupakointi 14-vuotiaana olivat yhteydessä mielenterveysoireisiin 24-vuotiaana. Tyttöjen äitisuhteessa luottamuksellisuus, välinpitämättömyys, riitaisuus, lämpö sekä kunnioitus, ja isäsuhteessa riitaisuus korreloivat mielenterveysoireisiin varhaisaikuisuudessa. Tutkimus vahvistaa vanhempisuhteiden tärkeyden nuorten elämässä ja näillä ihmissuhteilla on myös yhteys nuoren myöhempään mielenterveyteen

Puolesta-asiointi terveydenhuollon sähköisissä asiointipalveluissa Case: PUOLA–hanke

Sähköinen asiointi on ajankohtainen asia sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollossa. Digitalisaation keinoin mahdollistetaan entistä asiakaslähtöisemmät palvelut. Tämän artikkelin tarkoituksena on esitellä käynnissä olevaa PUOLA-hanketta sekä sen yhteyttä toimintaan ja menetelmiin kohdistuvaan tutkimukseen, joka on ensisijaisesti tieto‐ ja viestintätekniikan käytön arviointia ja kehittämistä. Hankkeessa kehitetään ja mallinnetaan Omakanta-palvelun ja alueellisen sähköisen asiointipalvelun välistä tiedon siirtymistä ja käyttöä sekä pilotoidaan toiminnallisesti kansallisiin määrityksiin perustuvia rekisteri- ja valtakirjapohjaisia puolesta-asioinnin ratkaisuja. Tämä on hyvä esimerkki hankkeesta, jossa kansalliset määrittelyt tukevat alueellista kehittämistä. Hankkeessa tehtävä kehittämistyö tuo kokemuksia sekä tukea kansallisten palveluiden toteutukseen. Organisaation näkökulmasta kehittämishankkeen onnistuminen edellyttää toimivaa teknologiaa, sitoutunutta johtoa, motivoituneita esimiehiä ja muutosvalmista henkilöstöä.Electronic communication is a topical issue in social and health care. Digitalization means of allowing a more customer-oriented services. The purpose of this article is to introduce the ongoing PUOLA project and its connection with the research on its operation and methods. The research is primarily about the evaluation and development of the use of information and communication technologies. Within the project, the transfer of information between My Kanta service and the regional online services will be developed and modelled and solutions on acting on behalf of someone else based on registration and a power of attorney according to national regulations will be functionally piloted. This is a good example of the project, in which the national definitions support regional development. Role in the project development work will brings experience and support to the implementation of national services. From the organization point of view, the success of the development project requires functioning technology, committed management, motivated superiors and adaptable personnel

The Way of Distance Teaching Is Related to Adolescent Students’ Health and Loneliness during the School Closure in Finland

The COVID-19 pandemic enforced countries to close schools and rapidly transfer to distance teaching without preparation. Little is known about how different distance teaching practices influenced students’ wellbeing. We studied this during the period of school closures in Finland. Wellbeing was measured by health complaints and perceived loneliness, and distance learning was measured in terms of structure and dialogue of teaching, functioning of internet and digital equipment, difficulty of given tasks, and support for studies. All lower secondary schools were invited, and 29,898 students from 340 schools (grades 7–9) participated. A digital survey was distributed through schools just when these were reopened in May 2020. The main results were that the distance learning practices were related to adolescent health complaints and loneliness, so that less structure and dialogue in teaching, more problems with digital devices and internet, more difficult tasks and less support for studies were associated with higher health complaints and loneliness. From the point of view of students’ wellbeing, it matters how the distance learning is organised, how digital communication works, and if enough support for studies is available. These results of our research on distance learning practices during the present pandemic may guide schools in future crises and pandemic situations when distance learning is needed

Sähköinen valtakirjaan perustuva puolesta-asiointi terveydenhuollossa

Peer reviewe

Late start of upper secondary education and health-compromising behaviours among Finnish adolescents – a follow up-study

Background: The Finnish government has emphasized the need to expedite educational transitions. We study if a late start of upper secondary education is related to health-related selection, namely health-compromising behaviours in adolescence. Methods: A large cohort of adolescents from the seventh (12-13 years) and ninth (15-16 years) grades answered online classroom surveys (total n = 10 873). They were followed to the start of upper secondary education, obtained from the Joint Application Registry. We compared those who continued studies directly from the ninth grade with later starters. We measured late bedtime, breakfast not every school day, tooth brushing less than twice-a-day, monthly alcohol consumption, weekly smoking, daily energy drinks, physical activity <6 days/week and excessive screen time. Multilevel logistic regressions and latent class analyses were conducted. Results: In gender and school adjusted models in the seventh grade, all behaviours except physical activity predicted the late start. The strongest predictor was smoking, OR = 2.96 (CI = 2.25-3.89). In the ninth grade, smoking, breakfast, tooth brushing and energy drinks, OR = 1.80, (CI = 1.36-2.39, strongest), were predictive. After controlling for sociodemographic background and academic achievement, associations for alcohol and screen time became non-significant in the seventh grade. In the ninth grade, only screen time remained significant, OR = 1.33 (CI = 1.04-1.71). Health-compromising behaviours formed clusters. Belonging to the unhealthy cluster predicted the late start in both grades, in adjusted models only in the seventh grade. Conclusions: Students with health-compromising behaviours are less likely to start upper secondary education directly after the compulsory education. This may increase the risk for fragmentary educational trajectories and work careers.Peer reviewe

The Way of Distance Teaching Is Related to Adolescent Students’ Health and Loneliness during the School Closure in Finland

The COVID-19 pandemic enforced countries to close schools and rapidly transfer to distance teaching without preparation. Little is known about how different distance teaching practices influenced students’ wellbeing. We studied this during the period of school closures in Finland. Wellbeing was measured by health complaints and perceived loneliness, and distance learning was measured in terms of structure and dialogue of teaching, functioning of internet and digital equipment, difficulty of given tasks, and support for studies. All lower secondary schools were invited, and 29,898 students from 340 schools (grades 7–9) participated. A digital survey was distributed through schools just when these were reopened in May 2020. The main results were that the distance learning practices were related to adolescent health complaints and loneliness, so that less structure and dialogue in teaching, more problems with digital devices and internet, more difficult tasks and less support for studies were associated with higher health complaints and loneliness. From the point of view of students’ wellbeing, it matters how the distance learning is organised, how digital communication works, and if enough support for studies is available. These results of our research on distance learning practices during the present pandemic may guide schools in future crises and pandemic situations when distance learning is needed

Low schoolwork engagement and schoolwork difficulties predict smoking in adolescence?

Low academic achievement has been associated with smoking but factors behind this association are poorly known. Such factors could include schoolwork disengagement and schoolwork difficulties. To assess the extent to which they contribute to the explanation of how health inequalities emerge, we study in a longitudinal design whether these have an independent effect on smoking or whether their effect is mediated through academic achievement. Longitudinal data were collected in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland in 2011 and 2014. Participants were seventh-graders (12 13 years, N=9497). In the follow-up, 6534 students reported their smoking status in the ninth grade (15 16 years). Smoking, schoolwork behavioural engagement, i.e. participation in academic activities, and disengagement, schoolwork difficulties and cognitive competence were self-reported by adolescents. Academic achievement was obtained from the Finnish national application register on upper secondary education. A mediation analysis was executed with bootstrapped confidence intervals. Higher schoolwork behavioural engagement and cognitive competence in the seventh grade predicted that adolescents were more likely not to smoke in the ninth grade (all P <0.001) while higher schoolwork disengagement and schoolwork difficulties predicted adolescents smoking (all P <0.001). The effects were mediated through academic achievement. Students behavioural disengagement with schoolwork and schoolwork difficulties are risks for smoking initiation. Their effect is mediated through poor school achievement. As smoking often continues in adulthood and poor school performance typically leads to lower education, schoolwork disengagement and difficulties in adolescence constitute potential pathways to inequalities in health.Peer reviewe