An increasing number of children and young people in Finland say that they are in good health, according to a recent survey of schoolkids by the Institute for Health and Welfare THL.

However, the poll found many girls revealing that they continue to deal with anxiety issues.

Yle examined the survey results and noted five factors about children’ s well-being that have changed recently or over a longer period of time.

Decreased loneliness

The poll found young respondents were less likely to say they experienced feelings of loneliness than they did in surveys carried out over the past couple of years.

Now, around 13 percent of eighth- and ninth-graders said they commonly feel lonely. That reflected a minor decrease compared to the past two surveys, which found the proportion of youngsters who felt lonely ranged between 15 and 16 percent.

According to THL researcher Jenni Helenius, who led the survey effort, that is a positive change, even if it is minor.

“It’s a small sign that while feelings of loneliness became more common during the Covid era, it seems we’re headed in a better direction,” Helenius said.

Communication with parents improves

From a long-term perspective, the new survey also found positive developments in young people being able to communicate with their parents.

For example, around 70 percent of eighth- and ninth-graders said they feel they were able to talk about issues important to them with parents often or very often. At the beginning of the 2000s, that proportion was starkly different, with only 40 percent saying they could talk with their parents.

According to Helenius, a combination of factors may be behind the improvement.

There has been a lot of discussion about how important it is for adults to listen to young people and to take an interest in what they are experiencing. It may be that, these days, many parents know — and dare — to talk more openly about adolescence- and youth-related issues, she said.

“On the other hand, young people have also been also encouraged to talk about their issues,” Helenius explained.

Many kids skip breakfast, school lunches

Nearly half of the young respondents said they go to school without eating breakfast, and kids are increasingly skipping school lunches, particularly girls.

Middle school girls were the least likely to eat lunch at school, with roughly half of eighth- and ninth-graders saying they eat school lunches every day. A decade ago, that proportion was around 70 percent. However, there were regional variations regarding lunch at school.

“Some pupils may be nervous about the situation and perhaps not necessarily have friends to sit down and eat with. Some may feel it is difficult because the lunchroom is very noisy, or if there isn’t enough time to eat,” Helenius said, adding that some students may prefer to seek out lunch from a nearby shop.

Changes in nicotine, alcohol use

Compared to the agency’s poll a couple years ago, the new survey found kids increasingly using nicotine pouches.

Vocational school students use the pouches the most, with a quarter of boys in their first or second year reporting they used them daily. Meanwhile, around 15 percent of their female counterparts said they use nicotine pouches every day.

Nicotine pouch use has become more common in other groups, as well, according to the survey.

However, the trend of fewer kids using tobacco or drinking alcohol has continued, according to the poll.

Nearly three quarters of the eighth- and ninth-graders said they do not drink alcohol at all, while nearly half of upper secondary and vocational school students said they do not drink alcohol.

The new survey did not find an increase in kids using drugs. For example, around six percent of the middle-school respondents said they had tried cannabis, which reflected a slight decrease.

“A very small number mentioned trying other drugs besides cannabis,” Helenius said.

Sexual harassment down, bullying continues

Nearly one in 10 comprehensive school pupil respondents said they had experienced bullying on a weekly basis.

The groups most affected by bullying were kids in the fourth and fifth grades, while upper secondary and vocational students were least likely to be bullied. The incidence of bullying has slightly increased in recent years, according to the health agency’s survey data.

Meanwhile, youngsters reporting that they have experienced sexual harassment has clearly decreased. Around one third of girls in middle-, upper secondary- and vocational schools reported having been the target of sexual harassment.

Carried out last spring, THL’s school health survey queried around 270,000 children and youths in fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth grade. It also included students at upper secondary schools and students in their first or second year in vocational education programmes.