SUNRISE Finland
SUNRISE Finland study is part of an international SUNRISE study, which aims to globally monitor the World Health Organization Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children in the early years.
Contact us
The SUNRISE Finland study is part of an International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years – the SUNRISE study. The SUNRISE Coordinating Centre is based at the University of Wollongong in Australia. This study brings together more than 60 low, middle, and high-income countries across the globe. The SUNRISE study aims to determine the proportion of 3- and 4-year-old children sampled in participating countries who meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global 24-hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years. Secondary aims include the monitoring of gross and fine motor and cognitive skills (working memory and inhibition). The SUNRISE Finland study additionally aims to identify factors associated with children’s movement behaviours, focusing on socioeconomic factors, differences between sexes and between urban and rural environments, and parental health behaviour and mental well-being. This study consists of a pilot study and a main study. The pilot study was conducted in daycare centres in Southern Finland in early 2022. In the main study, more than 1,000 3–4-year-old children and their caregivers participated in Helsinki, Espoo, Turku, Kuopio and Oulu regions (from urban and rural daycare centres) between June 2022 and November 2023.
The international SUNRISE study will provide the first international data on movement behaviours for the early years. The SUNRISE Finland study enables Finland to participate in this international study. In addition, the SUNRISE Finland study provides evidence on factors associated with movement behaviours among young children living in Finland. The study produces information on which individual, family background, as well as societal factors are related to children’s movement behaviours. The results of this study will help in promoting healthy movement behaviours already at an early age and equal opportunities for healthy growth to all children. Research of movement behaviours during the early years is important in health promotion of the general population.
Read More
Principal Investigator (PI)
Eva Roos, Professor
Co-PI, Senior Scientist
Elina Engberg, Docent
Doctoral Researchers
Nanna Wackström
Tea Karppinen
Research Assistants
Karoliina Uusitalo,
Roosa Louhi
Practical steps needed to achieve impact of the WHO 2019 movement behaviour guidelines for children under the age of 5: the SUNRISE Study Europe Group evaluation.
De Craemer M, Veldman SLC, Azevedo,...Engberg E, et al. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. Accepted for publication January 2024.
Sociodemographic factors, parental mental health and movement behaviours in the early years: the SUNRISE Finland study protocol.
Engberg, E., Ojala, A., Paasio, H, et al. Journal of Activity, Sedentary and Sleep Behaviors. 2024.
Cross-sectional examination of 24- hour movement behaviours among 3- and 4-year-old children in urban and rural settings in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: the SUNRISE study protocol.
Okely T, Reilly JJ, Tremblay MS,…Roos E, et al. BMJ Open. 2021.
Master's theses
Roosa Louhi ja Karoliina Uusitalo, University of Jyväskylä 2024: 3-4-vuotiaiden lasten liikkumiskäyttäytymisen sekä motoristen taitojen eroavaisuudet kaupunki- ja maaseutuympäristössä
Jenny Gustafsson, University of Jyväskylä 2024: Vanhempien ja 3–4-vuotiaiden lasten digitaalisten medioiden käytön yhteydet lasten motorisiin taitoihin ja fyysiseen aktiivisuuteen
Heidi Niemi, University of Jyväskylä 2024: The associations of Nature Visits and Family Physical Activity with Parental Happiness: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southern Finland
Lilja Öhman, University of Jyväskylä 2023: Barns fysiska aktivitet, sömn och skärmtid i relation till familjens socioekonomiska ställning. En tvärsnittsstudie gjord på finska 3–4-åriga barn och deras föräldrar – SUNRISE Finland pilotstudie.
Olli-Jussi Makkonen, Turun yliopisto 2023:
Vanhemman liikunta-aktiivisuuden ja sosioekonomisen aseman yhteydet 3–4-vuotiaan lapsen fyysisen kunnon arviointiin.
Pragga Bhattacharjee, Lund University 2023:
The associations of parental screen time, nomophobia and social media self-control failure with preschool-aged children’s screentime: a cross-sectional study in Southern Finland.
Professor Tony Okely, University of Wollongong, Australia
Professor Pasi Koski, Faculty of Education, University of Turku, Finland
Professor Katri Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Finland
Professor Raija Korpelainen, Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Finland, and Oulu Deaconess Institute Foundation sr.
Dr Elena Jansen, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA
Dr Ilona Merikanto, SLEEPWELL Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Professor Jari Lahti, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Dr. Lauri Hietajärvi, Research Group for Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsink
Liiku (Lounais-Suomen Liikunta ja Urheilu ry)
Professor John J Reilly, Department of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde
Glasgow, Scotland
Professor Marie Löf, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet
Dr Tuija Tammelin, Principal researcher, JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland
Dr Erika Maksniemi, Research Group for Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki
The International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years (SUNRISE)
JOYPAM project (Piilo-tutkimus), Likes by JAMK, Finland
Joy in Motion Programme (Liikkuva varhaiskasvatus), Finnish National Agency for Education
Samfundet Folkhälsan
The Ministry of Education and Culture
Juho Vainio Foundation
Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation
