Satu Helakorpi and Hanne Kivimäki 11/25/2021 Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

1. Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
Well-being of children and young people
School Health Promotion study 2021
Satu Helakorpi & Hanne Kivimäki
11/25/2021

2. Indicators describing the well-being
experienced by children and young people by
gender and education level in 2021, %
11/25/2021
The general results, indicator
descriptions, question formats and
calculation descriptions of the School
Health Promotion Study, are contained in
the THL User Interface for Database
Cubes and Reports (TIKU):
thl.fi/kouluterveyskysely/tulokset
72
64
55
81
33
32
32
56
60
62
57
82
81
69
62
74
49
49
54
64
79
78
81
89
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Vocational institutions
Upper secondary school
Grades 8-9
Grades 4-5
Vocational institutions
Upper secondary school
Grades 8-9
Grades 4-5
Vocational institutions
Upper secondary school
Grades 8-9
Grades 4-5
%
Boys Girls
Satisfied with
life at the
moment
Good
communication
with parents
Likes going
to school
2
School Health Promotion study 2021

3. The share of children and young people satisfied
with their lives by gender and education level in
2019 and 2021, %
11/25/2021
92 89
84 81 81 78
82 79
87
82
67
57
70
62
68
60
0
20
40
60
80
100
2019 2021 2019 2021 2019 2021 2019 2021
Grades 4-5 Grades 8-9 Upper secondary
school
Vocational institutions
%
Boys Girls
3
School Health Promotion study 2021

4. The share of young people who had experienced
moderate or severe anxiety in the last two
weeks by gender and education level in
2013–2021, %
11/25/2021
0
10
20
30
40
50
2013 2015 2017 2019 2021
%
Grade 8-9 boys
Grade 8-9 girls
General upper
secondary
school boys
General upper
secondary
school girls
Boys in
vocational
institutions
Girls in
vocational
institutions
4
School Health Promotion study 2021

5. The share of children and young people
considering their health condition as average
or poor by gender and education level in 2008–
2021, %
11/25/2021
0
10
20
30
40
50
2008-2009 2010-2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021
% Grade 4-5
boys
Grade 4-5 girls
Grade 8-9
boys
Grade 8-9 girls
General upper
secondary
school boys
General upper
secondary
school girls
Boys in
vocational
institutions
Girls in
vocational
institutions
5
School Health Promotion study 2021

6. The share of children and young people who
enjoyed going to school by gender and
education level in 2008–2021, %
11/25/2021
0
20
40
60
80
100
2008-2009 2010-2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021
% Grade 4-5 boys
Grade 4-5 girls
Grade 8-9 boys
Grade 8-9 girls
General upper
secondary
school boys
General upper
secondary
school girls
Boys in
vocational
institutions
Girls in
vocational
institutions
6
School Health Promotion study 2021

7. The share of children and young people who felt
lonely by gender and education level in 2019 and
2021, %
11/25/2021
6
9
7
11
6
10
15
22
15
23
18
26
0
10
20
30
40
2019 2021 2019 2021 2019 2021
Grades 8-9 Upper secondary school Vocational institutions
%
Boys Girls
7
School Health Promotion study 2021

8. The share of children and young people
experiencing good communications with their
parents by gender and education level in 2008–
2021, %
11/25/2021
0
20
40
60
80
100
2008-2009 2010-2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021
% Grade 4-5 boys
Grade 4-5 girls
Grade 8-9 boys
Grade 8-9 girls
General upper
secondary
school boys
General upper
secondary
school girls
Boys in
vocational
institutions
Girls in
vocational
institutions
8
School Health Promotion study 2021

9. The share of young people who was heavily
drunk at least once a month by gender and
education level in 2008–2021, %
11/25/2021
0
10
20
30
40
50
2008-2009 2010-2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021
%
Grade 8-9 boys
Grade 8-9 girls
General upper
secondary
school boys
General upper
secondary
school girls
Boys in
vocational
institutions
Girls in
vocational
institutions
9
School Health Promotion study 2021

10. The share of young people who had
experimented with cannabis at least once by
gender and education level in 2008–2021, %
11/25/2021
0
10
20
30
40
2008-2009 2010-2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021
% Grade 8-9
boys
Grade 8-9 girls
General upper
secondary
school boys
General upper
secondary
school girls
Boys in
vocational
institutions
Girls in
vocational
institutions
10
School Health Promotion study 2021

11. The share of children and young people who had
experienced a physical threat by gender and
education level in 2019 and 2021, %
11/25/2021
Physical threats included stealing or attempted stealing using violence or a threat thereof, a threat
of causing physical harm, or physically attacking someone
16 17
20
18
14
12
17
16
8
11
14 14
8 9
15 15
0
10
20
30
40
2019 2021 2019 2021 2019 2021 2019 2021
Grades 4-5 Grades 8-9 Upper secondary
school
Vocational institutions
%
Boys Girls
11
School Health Promotion study 2021

12. The share of children and young people who had
been bullied at least once a week by gender and
education level in 2008–2021, %
11/25/2021
0
5
10
15
20
2008-2009 2010-2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021
% Grade 4-5 boys
Grade 4-5 girls
Grade 8-9 boys
Grade 8-9 girls
General upper
secondary
school boys
General upper
secondary
school girls
Boys in
vocational
institutions
Girls in
vocational
institutions
12
School Health Promotion study 2021

13. Main results
• The majority of children and young people are satisfied with their lives and like
going to school. However, satisfaction with life had slightly decreased in 2021
compared to 2019.
• About one third of girls in their teens and eight per cent of boys at all education
levels reported that they had moderate to severe anxiety in 2021.
• In 2021, many young people felt their state of health was average or poor, 32-40%
of girls and 17-19% of boys.
• In 2021, young people’s experiences of loneliness had increased at all education
levels compared to 2019, especially among girls.
• Binge drinking among young people studying in secondary education decreased
in 2021 compared to 2019.
• Young people’s experiences of being bullied on a weekly basis decreased when
going on to secondary education.
11/25/2021 13
School Health Promotion study 2021