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A new study put Finland in the spotlight this week when it was unveiled as the most physically active country during the pandemic.
Published in the Journal of Frontiers in Psychology, the study examined cross-cultural health behaviors and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on perceived well-being. He also analyzed how different containment measures in several countries led to differences in health outcomes.
The study included a survey distributed to the UK, South Korea, Finland, the Philippines, Latin American countries, Spain, North America and Italy. Participants from Finland had the highest scores in the physical health categories, while those from the UK had the lowest scores.
The Finnish food workers union also caught the attention of editorial staff this week when it called on consumers to boycott beer produced in Estonia.
The beer, Keijo, is owned by a small brewery in Kontula, Helsinki, and first appeared in Finnish grocery stores last month. Although the drink is marketed and sold in Finland, it is produced at the A. Le Coq factory in the Estonian city of Tartu.
The Finnish Food Workers Union alleges that the name of the beer could be misleading because it mentions the Finland-based brewery. They recommend consumers look to locally produced drinks to help save jobs in the country.
A Finnish anti-bullying program is to be tested by several UK-based primary schools. The KiVa program, which was developed at the University of Turku, will debut at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Carterton, England, among others.
The trial is part of the Stand Together project which will assess the effectiveness of KiVa, which is currently used in over 90 percent of public primary schools in Finland.
Around 120 schools across the UK will participate in the project. Based on a random selection, half of the schools will adopt the KiVa curriculum and the other half will continue to implement standard anti-bullying strategies.
In addition, the Finnish financial institution Finnvera has signed an agreement with the group of the European Investment Bank (EIB) which will allow it to grant 650 million euros in financing to Finnish companies.
Finnvera will join the EIB’s Pan-European Guarantee Fund (GEF) program. The EGF includes 25 billion euros in guarantees from EU member states and is expected to raise an additional 200 billion euros in investments for European companies.
The Finnish school meals program also took center stage this week with articles highlighting the benefits of free meals and their role in the well-being of children.
The state currently provides free meals to 900,000 school children (between the ages of six and sixteen) across the country.
Finland wins most physically active country title during pandemic
Finland has been the country with the most physically active residents since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a new study published in the Journal of Frontiers in Psychology.
The study is based on a survey that was distributed to several countries during the early stages of the pandemic. It had a total of 1,131 participants. Increased physical activity was linked to better mental health, sleep, and physical well-being.
Participants from Finland recorded the highest scores for physical health. People in Latin American countries are said to be the most affected by mental and emotional health problems, while South Koreans are least affected.
The original story was published by Theravive on 04/06/2021 and can be found here.
Finnish food workers union urges consumers to boycott beer produced in Estonia
The Finnish food workers union has called for a boycott of beer produced in Estonia on social media. The new beer, named Keijo, is a product of the Kontula brewery in Helsinki.
Although the lager is produced in Tartu, Estonia, it is owned by Finns with product development, storage, marketing and sale all taking place in Finland.
Although the brewery has openly stated where the drink is made, Finland’s food workers union says the brand name could confuse customers as it clearly refers to Kontula. The union has already called for a boycott of Fazer Runeberg pies made in Latvia and Sisu pastilles produced in Italy.
The original story was published by The Baltic Times on 04/05/2021 and can be found here.
Finnish anti-bullying program to be tested in UK schools
Many schools across the UK have signed up for the Stand Together research project, which seeks to determine whether KiVa, an anti-bullying program developed in Finland, is better than current strategies in the region.
KiVa has three key elements: prevention, intervention and aftercare, and is based on extensive research. The program has been shown to be effective in reducing bullying and improving the mental well-being of students in Finland.
The Stand Together trial will help decide whether the KiVa program should be introduced to primary schools in the UK.
The original story was published by Oxford Mail on 06.04.2021 and can be found here.
Finnvera signs 650 million euro loan for Finnish companies
Finnvera, a public specialized finance company, has signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for a guarantee program that will finance 650 million euros in investment loans for large companies.
Working with the EIB will allow Finnvera to use EU funding to support Finnish businesses during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The original story was posted by Devdiscourse on 04/06/2021 and can be found here.
Free school meals in Finland a crucial part of the education system
Finland was a pioneer of free school meals, which were first introduced in the country during World War II. All pupils in nursery, elementary and upper secondary schools are entitled to a complete and nutritionally balanced meal free of charge.
The meal is considered an important tool for students to learn about food and nutrition. The COVID-19 crisis has introduced new challenges as schools have had to adapt and organize meals for students remotely.
However, the left-wing Alliance political party plans to take the school lunch program one step further by introducing free breakfasts for students in the near future.
The original story was published by Jacobin on 07.04.2021 and can be found here.
Tahira Sequeira
Helsinki Hours
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