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A negative trend in girls’ health and school experiences 

In 2022, boys responded that they considered their health excellent or good more often than girls. Boys also reported high life satisfaction and hopeful attitudes towards their own future more often than girls. Compared to 2018, the above-mentioned shares had grown only for boys. In turn, girls reported experiencing repeated loneliness, melancholia and difficulties in falling asleep more often than boys in 2022, and these proportions had grown only for girls. 

For girls, the share of those who like school has decreased steadily between 2014 and 2022 (76% → 62%). For boys, the share remained at the same level (65% → 61%). In addition, girls reported being burdened with schoolwork more often than in earlier survey years, and girls’ sense of safety in the school environment decreased from 87% in 2014 to 70% in 2022. 

Using social media is not risk-free 

Problematic social media use refers to compulsive use of social media, characterized by symptoms typical of addiction. In 2022, around one in ten could be classified as a problematic social media user, and more than one in three had an increased risk of problem use. No differences between genders were found in problem use. By contrast, belonging to an elevated risk group was more common among girls than boys. 

Challenges in promoting health habits   

In 2022, far too few schoolchildren ate fruit and vegetables every day, had enough physical activity and slept long enough. About one out of ten 9th graders used intoxicants, boys more often than girls. Boys who had been drunk twice or more in the previous month accounted for 15%, smokers for 17% and snuff users for 19%. Cannabis use was prevalent among 13% of boys and 6% of girls. All these proportions were higher than in 2018.  

Health literacy is an important health resource   

Health literacy as a health-related competence helps to promote and maintain one’s own health, the health of others and environmental health. The results confirm that the higher the health literacy of a young person, the more likely it is that their different health habits will be positive and perceived health higher. The health literacy of Finnish young people was, on average, at a good level, but there are thousands of schoolchildren with low health literacy skills. Special attention should be paid to supporting them. 

HBSC Finland produces nationally important and internationally comparable data on the health and well-being of young people  

The international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is conducted in cooperation with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Finland was one of the founding members of the study that began already 40 years ago. Currently, HBSC Finland is led by Associate Professor Leena Paakkari and Senior Lecturer Nelli Lyyra, and it is carried out by a research group from the Research Centre for Health Promotion in the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the Ģ��ֱ��. 

Report details:  

Kristiina Ojala & Markus Kulmala (Eds.), Koululaisten terveys ja muuttuvat haasteet 2022 – WHO-Koululaistutkimus 40 vuotta [������ǴDZ����󾱱�������’s health and changing challenges 2022 – HBSC Finland 40 years]. JYU Reports 25, Ģ��ֱ��, 2023. DOI:    

More information:  

Kristiina Ojala  

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences  

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kristiina.ojala@jyu.fi  

+358 40 805 3579