Anne Konu

Evaluation of Well-Being in Schools – A Multilevel Analysis of General Subjective Well-Being

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.

Trends in Disposable Income Among Teenage Boys and Girls in Finland from 1977 to 2003

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 84404 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.

The Well-being Profile--an Internet tool for school health promotion.

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 schools. The Profile became popular in its first year: it was used by 33 primary schools, 28 lower secondary schools and 9 upper secondary schools with a total of 9,169 respondents. Overall, 94% of the students and 99% of the personnel expressed that it had been at least fairly easy to fill in the questionnaire. The paper shows that theoretical research in health promotion can effectively be put into practice using information technology tools. The project that produced the School Well-being Profile ended in 2004, yet the WWW-Profile continues to gain new users. The school administrators, personnel and students have found the Profile easy to use and worth the time and effort invested by the school. The strategies adopted in the design and dissemination of the Profile seem to have been successful in providing a sustainable resource to contribute to the future promotion of well-being in schools.

Identifying potential heavy drinkers in early adolescence

Based on the Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey 1999 in Finland (N = 2,385), this study aimed at identifying characteristics related to heavy drinking in 14‐year‐olds. The characteristics were studied for association with drinking style (abstinence, occasional drinking, recurring drinking, recurring drunkenness). Two‐thirds of the 14‐year‐olds drank alcohol; 10 per cent of boys and 15 per cent of girls reported recurring drunkenness. Factors showing strongest associations with increased drinking were smoking, lack of parental control and high weekly allowance. Drinking among 14‐year‐olds has developed into being a common behaviour. Early adolescent drinking seems associated with a multitude of background and lifestyle factors, all of which may be helpful in identifying drinkers, although not particularly heavy drinkers. The efforts aimed originally at identifying heavy drinkers will probably yield a rather heterogeneous group with regard to their drinking habits. However, all drinking may be considered problematic, e.g. from the legal point of view. As the factors associated with occasional drinking and heavy drinking were the same, no support can be given to the assumption that there exist any specific “risk factors” for heavy drinkingat this early age.

Leadership style profiles of middle‐level managers in social and health care

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine leadership styles among middle‐level managers in social and health care using the leadership role definitions developed by Robert Quinn et al..Design/methodology/approach – The data were obtained by means of a postal survey sent to middle‐line managers in social and health care services in municipalities and municipal federations within the responsibility area of one university hospital in Finland. The survey was sent to 703 managers, the response rate was 62 percent. Leadership styles differences were measured according to gender, professional background, activity sector, age, work experience and unit size. To determine statistical significance, t‐test was used.Findings – Leadership roles of middle‐level managers were evenly distributed on a relatively high level. Statistically significant differences found in leadership styles were related to gender, professional background, activity sector and unit size. Leadership styles stressed intra‐organizational activ...

Drugs foresight 2020: a Delphi expert panel study

BackgroundHistorically substance misuse has been relatively common in western countries, but comparatively few Finns report drug use. The Drugs 2020 study aimed at foreseeing changes in the drug situation in Finland by the year 2020.MethodsThe Delphi method was used, utilizing drug experts of the EU national network in Finland.ResultsMarked growth was foreseen in drug use, especially in synthetic designer drugs and misuse of medicinal drugs. Significant increase was also expected in growing cannabis at home. However, the control of drug market was expected to shift more into the hands of organized crime. No consensus was reached on how drug prices will develop in the time period. Drug use is likely to remain punishable although the use and possession of cannabis may be treated less severely. It seems likely that health and social services resources will be directed towards medicinal treatment.ConclusionsForesight can be utilized in preparing for the future; desirable developments can be fostered, and measures can be taken to curb probable but undesirable lines of development. Based on the results of this study, the experts’ view is that it is highly likely that the Finnish society will have to prepare for an increase in the demand for drug-related care, both in terms of content of the care and financing the services. Also, the forecasted increase in the role of legal prescription medicine used as intoxicants will call for efforts not only in changing prescription practices but in border and police control measures, as well. Parallel developments have been foreseen in the UK and Sweden, and it is likely that similar trends will actualize also in other western countries.

Mental Health Promotion in a School Community by Using the Results From the Well-Being Profile An Action Research Project

This article presents an action research project as a method to combine science and practical expertise in order to develop the practices of the health care system. The project aimed at developing mental health promotion in the school community in general and at finding tools for timely help when mental health is at risk. The underlying idea is that mental health is an integral part of health and by promoting general well-being it is also possible to promote and ensure mental health at school. The study was conducted in a Finnish lower secondary school of 446 pupils where the pupils are aged between 12 and 15 years. The initial survey was conducted using the School Well-being Profile, a tool developed by Anne Konu. A well-being questionnaire was used to identify the areas in need of improvement, providing the basis for planning and implementing development measures together with the local actors. The instrument proved to be a usable way of collecting feedback of the well-being of the school environment. As a result of the action research project, the school’s physical conditions and social relationships improved and appropriate practices for future problem situations were set.

Work ability of employees in changing social services and health care organizations in Finland

ObjectivesIn this study, we examined the connection between organizational changes and employees own evaluations of their work ability.Materials and MethodsIn early 2010, we asked employees (n = 2429) working in the Finnish social services and health care industry to identify all the organizational changes that had occurred at their workplaces over the previous two years, and to evaluate their own work ability and whether different statements related to the elements of work ability were true or false at the time of the survey. For our method of analysis, we used logistical regression analysis.ResultsIn models adjusted for gender, age, marital status, professional education and managerial position, the respondents who had encountered organizational changes were at a higher risk of feeling that their work ability had decreased (OR = 1.49) than the respondents whose workplaces had not been affected by changes. Those respondents who had encountered organizational changes were also at a higher risk of feeling that several elements related to work ability had deteriorated. The risk of having decreased self-evaluated work ability was in turn higher among the respondents who stated they could not understand the changes than among those respondents who understood the changes (OR = 1.99). This was also the case among respondents who felt that their opportunities to be involved in the changes had been poor in comparison to those who felt that they had had good opportunities to be involved in the process (OR = 2.16).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the organizational changes in social and health care may entail, especially when poorly executed, costs to which little attention has been paid until now. When implementing organizational changes, it is vital to ensure that the employees understand why the changes are being made, and that they are given the opportunity to take part in the implementation of these changes.

The role of social support in the association between gambling, poor health and health risk-taking

Aims: Studies have shown that gambling is associated with poor health and health risk-taking behaviour. However, little is known about those factors that can influence the association between gambling, health risk-taking and health. Using a population-based School Health Promotion Study of eighth- and ninth-grade Finnish boys and girls (N = 62,956), we investigated the relationships between gambling frequency, health risk-taking and poor health as well as whether social support from parents, friends and school staff could mediate these associations. Methods: Path analysis was used to discover direct and indirect effects of health, health risk-taking and gambling. Results: Social support from parents and school staff decreased gambling among boys and girls, whereas among boys support from friends increased gambling. However, the role of social support as a mediator was very weak. Overall poor health and health risk-taking were associated with increased gambling. Conclusions: Gambling should be considered an important public health issue because it clusters with other unhealthy behaviour patterns. Interventions concerning adolescent gambling should also take other simultaneous risk-taking into consideration. Also social support from parents and school should be noted when trying to decrease adolescents’ gambling.

Gambling, violent behaviour and attitudes towards violence among adolescent gamblers in Finland

Aims The purpose of this population-based study was to explore the relationship between gambling and violent behaviour and attitudes towards violence among 14- and 16-year-old adolescents. Design A national survey was conducted in Finland in 2011. The main measures in our study were gambling frequency and number of reported gambling-related harms. Their associations with violent behaviours and attitudes towards violence were studied using multinomial logistic regression and negative binomial regression. Results 47.1% of adolescents had gambled during the past six months and 13.2% of them had experienced gambling-related harms. Both gambling frequency and the number of gambling-related harms were linked to violent behaviour as well as to positive attitudes towards violence. Adolescents who engaged in gambling on a daily basis and/or experienced gambling harms had the highest risk. Conclusions Health promotion efforts among gamblers should take into account their increased risk for violent behaviour.