Authors

• Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

Keywords

assault, children, domestic violence, educational attendance, families, health, parent-child relationship, primary education, primary schools, school bullying, schoolchildren, substance use, trust, well-being (health)

Abstract

The school health promotion study, conducted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, examines the well-being, health, and school life of children and young people of different ages. This dataset consists of responses to the 2019 survey by fourth- and fifth-graders in basic education. The respondents filled out the questionnaire during the school day at their school. The language options for the survey were Finnish, Swedish, Russian, English, and North Sámi.

First, the respondents' opinions on school in general, their class, and the teachers were examined. The respondents were asked whether they had had the possibility to influence various things at their school during the present school year. Questions also surveyed how the respondents felt about recesses and breaks, whether they were experiencing difficulties in school, and whether something had bothered them at school. School bullying was examined with questions on whether the respondents had been bullied or had bullied others during the present semester, whether they had told anyone if they had been bullied, and what had happened after they had reported it. The respondents' physical and mental health and social relationships were also charted.

Next, the respondents' habits regarding brushing their teeth, eating breakfast, and physical exercise were surveyed. The respondents were asked whether they had ever used tobacco products, alcohol, or other substances, and whether they would use any of the substances if a friend offered them. Harassment, sexual harassment, and violence experienced by the respondents were also examined. The respondents were asked whether they had received help or services from a school nurse, physician, social worker or psychologist, and how easy it had been to get help. Finally, the respondents' relationship with their family and how they spent their leisure time were charted.

Background variables included the respondent's NUTS3 region of residence, gender, grade in school, living arrangements (categorised), background based on R's and their parents' country of birth (categorised), and how long R had lived in Finland.