Results from the third wave of the Fin-HIT study: 80% maintained stable normal weight from childhood to young adulthood

The participants responded to an extensive online questionnaire on diet, mental health, and smart phone addiction, among other things. Of the participants, 60% were women and 66% were students. The most common types of schools were upper secondary school and institute of higher education or university. Eleven percent of the respondents had currently a year off, while 10% were working and 8% were in military or non-military service. The majority (65%) still lived in their childhood home, while 19% lived alone. The remaining 16% lived with either a partner or a roommate. Of the participants, 3.2% reported smoking regularly, while 0.4% and 5.0% indicated regular use of e-cigarettes and snuff, respectively. Alcohol consumption was reported by 84% of the participants, about half of whom consumed it at least twice a month.

We also followed up weight development during eight years from childhood to adulthood. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among young adults was 22% in total, meaning that the percentage of individuals living with overweight and obesity increased during the follow-up period. On the other hand, 31% of those who were living with overweight/obesity as children achieved normal weight as adults. Of the normal weight children, 80% maintained their normal weight into adulthood.

The current follow-up study provides updated information on health behaviours, socio-economic factors and weight status in Finnish young adults. This work was supported by the Folkhälsan Research Foundation, “Life and Health Medical Fund”, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, and the Foundation for Pediatric Research.

Original article:
Cohort Profile Update: Finnish Health in Teens (Fin-HIT)
Sarkkola C, Lommi S, Ankkuri E, Pashley D, Elomaa K, Agrawal N, Engberg E, Männistö S, Lahti J, Viljakainen H. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2025.