Study title

Low-threshold Meeting Places and Inclusive Communities during COVID-19: Client Survey 2021-2022

Dataset ID Number

FSD3877

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3877
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3877

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• University of Helsinki. Faculty of Theology

Abstract

The survey explores the well-being and experiences of people attending low-threshold meeting places during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey focused on meeting places serving disadvantaged groups. The data was collected by the University of Helsinki's Inclusive Communities sub-project, which is part of the COVID-19 in the margins of society (KoMa) project.

First, respondents were asked to assess their reasons for visiting a low-threshold meeting place. These included for example basic needs, peer support, crisis situation, work try-out, substance abuse or mental health problem. Respondents were asked about the frequency of their participation in meeting place activities and the obstacles they encountered in attending. The survey also asked respondents about the benefits they had received from their visits. The survey also looked at their social and personal situation, such as trust in other people, life satisfaction and experiences of loneliness and exclusion. Next, respondents were asked to rate their own health and substance use in the last 6 months, and to rate themselves on a scale from most underprivileged to most well-off. Respondents were then asked which factors were most important for their own coping in 2021. Finally, respondents were asked to rate the accessibility and adequacy of the services they had used in the past year.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, NUTS2 major region, statistical grouping of municipalities, level of education, main activity, type of housing, own and parents' country of birth, and information on household structure and financial situation.

Keywords

COVID-19; customers; disadvantaged groups; everyday life; psychological well-being; public services; social inequality; social services; social welfare organizations; well-being (health)

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• General health and well-being (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Specific social services: use and availability (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Individual datasets

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (D) available only by permission from the data depositor/creator.

Data Collector

• Grönlund, Henrietta (University of Helsinki)
• Hokkanen, Joni (University of Helsinki)
• Järvinen, Jenna (University of Helsinki)

Funders

• European Union. European Social Fund (S22386)

Time Period Covered

2021 – 2022

Collection Dates

2021-09 – 2022-04

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Clients of low-threshold meeting places of organisations, religious groups and municipalities reaching vulnerable people in Finland (excluding the Åland Islands)

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Non-probability: Availability

The data collection focused on places that reach disadvantaged groups, such as people with mental health or substance abuse problems, homeless people, unemployed people or people released from prison. Researchers sought to reach low-threshold meeting places through internet searches, experts and networks. In particular, meeting places for families with children or the elderly were excluded from the data collection, as their visitors do not represent the target group of the study. Similarly, places primarily focused on food assistance were excluded from the data collection, as this was the subject of the second project of KoMa. The questionnaire was only completed in Finnish, which excluded meeting places that mainly reach foreign-language visitors. After recruitment, 72 low-threshold meeting places participated in the survey through direct invitations, advertising and networks (e.g. umbrella organisations).

The staff at the meeting places told visitors about the survey and asked them to take part by answering a questionnaire. Eligible clients filled in the paper form themselves or the online version via a closed link. If the client wished, the staff could help to fill in the form, for example by clarifying the questions so that the respondent could understand the content.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Paper

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Face-to-face interview: Paper-and-pencil (PAPI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Data collection guidelines

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

1.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

The researcher has removed the open-ended responses to the response option 'Other, please specify' from the data for identification reasons.

To prevent identification of respondents, the postcode variable (k24) has been deleted from the data at FSD. However, two coarser area variables were created on the basis of this variable: statistical grouping of municipalities and NUTS2 major region. In addition, the rarest values of the country of birth variables were recoded as 13 'Other country'.

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

University of Helsinki: Low-threshold Meeting Places and Inclusive Communities during COVID-19: Client Survey 2021-2022 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2024-12-04). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3877

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Grönlund, Henrietta & Hokkanen, Joni Mikael (2023). Turvaa, välittämistä ja yhdenvertaisuutta kohtaamispaikasta [verkkodokumentti]. Toivo. https://www.toivoverkkomedia.fi/artikkeli/turvaa-valittamista-ja-yhdenvertaisuutta-kohtaamispaikasta/ [viitattu 22.4.2024].

Takala, Henna (2023). Korona yhteiskunnan marginaaleissa. KoMa-hankkeen julkinen tiivistelmä [verkkodokumentti]. Tampere: Tampereen yliopisto. https://projects.tuni.fi/uploads/2023/08/e7790539-korona-yhteiskunnan-marginaaleissa-hankkeen-julkinen-tiivistelma.pdf [viitattu 22.4.2024].