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  • University of Eastern Finland
    Joensuu / Kuopio
    http://www.uef.fi/en
  • Joensuu Campus
    Yliopistokatu 2 P.O. Box 111 FI-80101 Joensuu
  • Kuopio Campus
    Yliopistonranta 1 P.O. Box 1627 FI-70211 Kuopio
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    Boys with good motor skills excel at problem-solving, too

    Boys with good motor skills are better problem-solvers than their less skilful peers, a new study from Finland shows. In contrast to previous studies, the researchers found no association between aerobic fitness or overweight and obesity with cognitive function in boys. The results are based on the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland, and they were published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The study found that boys with better motor skills at baseline had higher cognitive scores over a two-year follow-up

    Environmental exposures early in life modify immune responses – effects visible even in adolescence

    The prevalence of allergic diseases has increased significantly over the last decades, creating substantial financial and societal burdens. Due to this, researchers are trying to discover new approaches to the prevention and treatment of these diseases. A new PhD thesis from the University of Eastern Finland shows that there is a link between immune responses and diverse early life exposures, such as obstetric factors, farm dust and air pollution. Some changes in immune responses are visible up until adolescence. There is strong evidence that different exposures early in life can alter

    Risk factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease accumulate in children with poor aerobic fitness

    Risk factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease accumulate in children who have poor aerobic fitness, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. The study also found that the traditional way of expressing aerobic fitness in proportion to total body mass overestimates the role of aerobic fitness in identifying children at an increased risk of these diseases.   The study was conducted as part of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study at the University of Eastern Finland, and the findings were reported in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine &

    Increasing vigorous exercise decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease already in childhood

    Physical exercise can reduce the risk factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease even in children, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. In a two-year follow-up of primary school children, sedentary behaviour increased the accumulation of risk factors, whereas increasing the amount of vigorous exercise reduced it. This is one of the first follow-up studies to reliably demonstrate these associations in children. The results are based on follow-up data from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study, ongoing at the University of Eastern

    Risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease and metabolic syndrome can accumulate already in childhood

    Genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease is linked to an increased risk of cardiometabolic disorders already in childhood, a new study from Finland shows. Ongoing at the University of Eastern Finland, the findings from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study, PANIC, were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer's disease is the most common memory disorder. In addition to genetic predisposition, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is also increased by cardiometabolic risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes. The accumulation of these risk factors is known as

    Sensory-based food education encourages children to eat vegetables, berries and fruit

    Sensory-based food education given to 3–5 year-old children in the kindergarten increases their willingness to choose vegetables, berries and fruit, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. Sensory-based food education offers new tools for promoting healthy dietary habits in early childhood education and care. The findings were published in Public Health Nutrition. The researchers used the sensory-based food education method Sapere, which makes use of children's natural way of relying on all of the five senses when learning new things: by looking at, smelling,

    Type of maternal homework assistance affects child’s persistence

    Different types of maternal homework assistance have a different impact on the child’s way of completing school assignments in grades 2 to 4 of elementary school, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Jyväskylä. Although all homework assistance presumably aims at helping the child, not all types of homework assistance lead to equally positive outcomes.Researchers in the longitudinal First Steps Study found that the more opportunities for autonomous work the mother offered the child, the more task-persistent the child’s behaviour. In other

    Good motor skills may enhance reading skills in obese children

    Excess body weight has been linked to poor academic performance in children in several previous studies. A new Finnish study now shows that a high body fat percentage is associated with poor reading skills in 6–8-year-old boys. However, these associations are largely explained by poor motor skills. The results published in the Journal of Sports Science are part of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study conducted in the University of Eastern Finland and the First Steps Study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä.   The study investigated the associations of

    Photoreceptor cell death leads to blindness in CLN5 form of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis

    Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland have discovered a likely cause for visual impairment and eventual loss of vision in the Finnish variant of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL).  Visual impairment associated with the Finnish variant of NCL may be caused by impaired retinal waste management system, including autophagy, leading primarily to the death of photoreceptor cells that are of essential for vision.  The NCLs are the most common neurodegenerative disease group among children. NCL diseases constitute part of the Finnish disease heritage and they are more common in

    Children with reading and spelling difficulties lag behind their peers despite special education

    The reading skills of children with reading and spelling difficulties (RSD) lag far behind the age level in the first two school years, despite special education received from special education teachers. Furthermore, the spelling skills of children who in addition to RSD had other learning difficulties also lagged behind their peers in the first two school years. The follow-up study was carried out at the University of Eastern Finland and the findings were published in the European Journal of Special Needs Education. “Our findings are relevant both in terms of teacher education and in

    Boys from low income families move less

    Parents’ income and educational level are associated with their children’s physical activity and screen time, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. Lower income and educational levels were associated with less supervised physical activity in particular. In boys, these were also associated with more screen time.The study analysed various components of children’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and their associations with parents’ income and educational level. The study included 238 girls and 248 boys, all of them 6-8 years old, whose physical activity

    Blood fatty acids reveal your child’s diet

    Eating lots of sugary candy may strain the liver, alter the body’s fatty acid metabolism and increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases already in childhood. Children’s blood fatty acid composition reflects their diet – but luckily this composition can be influenced by lifestyle interventions, say researchers from the University of Eastern Finland. Family-based lifestyle interventions can have an impact on children’s blood fatty acid composition, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. The plasma fatty acid composition reflects not only the quality of dietary

    Brisk exercise linked to better arterial health already in childhood

    High levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity are associated with lower arterial stiffness in 6–8-year-old children, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. No similar association was found for light physical activity. Published in Pediatric Exercise Science, the findings constitute part of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study carried out in the University of Eastern Finland. The study was conducted in collaboration with the University of Cambridge.Increased arterial stiffness indicative of the development of cardiovascular disease

    Sedentary lifestyle may impair academic performance in boys

    A sedentary lifestyle is linked to poorer reading skills in the first three school years in 6–8 year old boys, according to a new study from Finland. The study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland in collaboration with the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Cambridge was recently published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. “Low levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and high levels of sedentary time in Grade 1 were related to better reading skills in Grades 1–3 among boys. We also observed that boys who had a combination of low levels of

    Exchanging sedentariness for low-intensity physical activity can prevent weight gain in children

    As little as 10 minutes of high-intensity physical activity per day reduces the amount of adipose tissue and enhances cardiorespiratory fitness in 6–8-year-old children, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. The higher the intensity of physical activity, the stronger the association with the amount of adipose tissue. Exchanging sedentary behaviour –mainly sitting – for even low-intensity physical activity reduces the amount of adipose tissue. In order for physical activity to enhance cardiorespiratory fitness, the intensity needs to be at least moderate.The

    Sino-Finnish Centre for Child Protection Research to open in Shanghai

    Fudan University and the University of Eastern Finland will open a joint Sino-Finnish Centre for Child Protection Research, SFCPR, in Shanghai. The founding agreement was signed in China on Tuesday, 18 October. The research centre will operate at Fudan University with a mission to promote interdisciplinary research and education in the fields of child welfare and child protection. According to Dean Liang Hong from the School of Social Development and Public Policy of Fudan University, collaboration between the universities entails many possibilities. “We feel proud and appreciated to

    Healthy diet boosts children’s reading skills

    A heathy diet is linked to better reading skills in the first three school years, shows a recent study from Finland. Published in the European Journal of Nutrition, the study constitutes part of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland and the First Steps Study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä. The study involved 161 children aged 6-8 years old, and followed up on them from the first grade to the third grade in school. The quality of their diet was analysed using food diaries, and their academic skills with the help of

    Disturbances in blood cell gene transcription may lead to leukemia

    Researchers have succeeded in shedding light on the pathogenesis of DNA breakpoints that are associated with leukemia. A mechanism discovered in a recent study can explain up to 90% of DNA damages present in the most common type of leukemia in children. The study was carried out by the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Tampere, and the findings were published in eLife. Leukemia is the most common form of cancer in children. Thanks to several genome-wide studies carried out over the past years, our understanding of the biology of leukemia has increased rapidly. The fact

    Lifestyle habits linked to pain conditions already in childhood

    Poor physical fitness and sedentary behaviour are linked to increased pain conditions in children as young as 6–8 years old, according to the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study ongoing at the University of Eastern Finland. The findings were published in the Journal of Pain. The study analysed the association of physical fitness, exercise, physically passive hobbies and body fat content with various pain conditions in 439 children. Out of individual pain conditions, physically unfit children suffered from headaches more frequently than others. High amounts of screen time

    Antidepressant use during pregnancy may lengthen umbilical cord

    Umbilical cords of children whose mothers used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy may be longer than umbilical cords of other newborn children, shows a new study from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRIs, are commonly prescribed antidepressants, and this is the first time their association with umbilical cord length was observed. The findings were published in PLOS ONE. A long umbilical cord can weaken foetal circulation and expose the foetus to a lack of oxygen during the pregnancy or birth,

    Family-based counselling increases physical activity and improves diet quality in children

    A recent Finnish study showed that individualised and family-based lifestyle counselling helps 6-8-year-old children increase their physical activity levels and improve their diet quality during a two-year follow-up. The results of the study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland were recently published in Preventive Medicine. “Children from families who participated in lifestyle counselling were physically more active, ate more vegetables and vegetable-oil-based spreads and had a higher intake of important nutrients than children in the control group. However, the impact of the

    Milk, vitamin supplements and exercise raise children's vitamin D levels

    Sufficient intake of fortified dairy products is of significant importance for the serum vitamin D level in primary school children, shows a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. Children who drink at least three glasses of milk per day had a higher serum vitamin D level than their peers who drink milk in lesser amounts. The use of vitamin D supplements was also associated with a higher serum vitamin D level. Furthermore, children who exercise more than 2 hours per day had a higher serum vitamin D level than children who exercise less than 1.5 hours per day. The article “

    Common gene mutation bad for liver values, good for blood lipids in children

    A common mutation in the TM6SF2 gene raises liver values but at the same time improves blood lipid values in healthy children, according to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. Children who carry the gene mutation had higher ALT values, indicative of changes in liver metabolism. At the same time, however, they also had lower blood triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels. This finding is in line with earlier research in adults, showing that the gene mutation both predisposes for fatty liver disease and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The results will be

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