Finnish Health in Teens Study – Fin-HIT
Our research
The objectives of the Fin-HIT study are to explore non-conventional determinants for weight and weight gain in modern society; to investigate etiology of weight-related health outcomes; and to understand underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the origin and development of obesity and related health outcomes.
The collected research data is linked to national health registers to obtain an objective insight into adolescents’ health. We will apply multidisciplinary approaches in our studies engaging genetics, epigenetics, microbiology, nutrition, exercise medicine, and population health.
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Group Leader
Heli Viljakainen
Postdoctoral Researchers
Nitin Agrawal
Sohvi Lommi
Laura Räisänen
Doctoral Researchers
Emilia Ankkuri
Catharina Sarkkola
Undergraduate Student
Maryam Rastegar
Staff
Kris Elomaa
Dylan Pashley
Burden of oral diseases predicts development of excess weight in early adolescence: a 2-year longitudinal study.
Lommi S, Leinonen J, Pussinen P, Furuholm J, Kolho KL, Viljakainen H. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2024.
Delayed bedtime on non-school days associates with higher weight and waist circumference in children: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses with Mendelian randomisation.
Viljakainen H, Engberg E, Dahlström E, Lommi S, Lahti J. Journal of Sleep Research. 2023.
The Composition and Functional Capacities of Saliva Microbiota Differ Between Children With Low and High Sweet Treat Consumption.
Lommi S, Manzoor M, Engberg E, Agrawal N, Lakka TA, Leinonen J, Kolho K-L, Viljakainen H. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2022.
The longitudinal associations between mental health indicators and digital media use and physical activity during adolescence: A latent class approach.
Engberg E, Hietajärvi L, Maksniemi E, Lahti J, Lonka K, Salmela-Aro K, Viljakainen H. Mental Health and Physical Activity. 2022.
Prevalence of Thinness, Overweight, Obesity, and Central Obesity in Finnish School-Aged Children: A Comparison of National and International Reference Values.
Sarkkola C, Viljakainen J, de Oliveira Figueiredo RA, Saari A, Lommi S, Engberg E, Viljakainen H. Obesity Facts. 2022.
Central obesity in school-aged children increases the likelihood of developing paediatric autoimmune diseases.
Räisänen L, Lommi S, Engberg E, Kolho KL, Viljakainen H. Pediatric Obesity. 2022.
High abundance of sugar metabolisers in saliva of children with caries.
Manzoor M, Lommi S, Furuholm J, Sarkkola C, Engberg E, Raju S, Viljakainen H.
Scientific Reports. 2021.
Antimicrobial drug use in the first decade of life influences saliva microbiota diversity and composition.
Raju S, Viljakainen H, Figueiredo RAO, Neuvonen PJ, Eriksson JG, Weiderpass E, Rounge TB. Microbiome. 2020.
Genetic risk score predicts risk for overweight and obesity in Finnish preadolescents.
Viljakainen H, Dahlström E, Figueiredo R, Sandholm N, Rounge TB, Weiderpass E. Clinical Obesity. 2019.
Cohort Profile: The Finnish Health in Teens (Fin-HIT) study: a population-based study.
Figueiredo RAO, Simola-Ström S, Rounge TB, Viljakainen H, Eriksson JG, Roos E, Weiderpass E. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2019.
Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
THL Biobank
CRIG group, Ghent University, Belgium
University of Helsinki, Children’s Hospital
Panic Study, University of Eastern Finland
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital
Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Italy
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Valencia, Spain
Folkhälsan Research Foundation
Medicinska Understödsföreningen Liv och Hälsa (“Life and Health Medical Fund”)
Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation
The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland
Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation
Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research
Lastentautien tutkimussäätiö
Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation
Paavo Nurmi Foundation
The Foundation for Pediatric Research
The University of Helsinki Doctoral School
The group's external website: www.finhit.fi
Contact us
Heli Viljakainen
Group Leader
+358 50 448 5660
