Henna Vepsäläinen
Biographic Data
| ID | 5493983 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Henna Vepsäläinen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Henna |
| FAMILY NAME | Vepsäläinen |
| SIGNATURE | VEPSÄLÄINEN H |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Helsinki |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0177-3609 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 4 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Dagis Salo cohort profile: A longitudinal and cross-sectional study to identify environmental and individual factors linked to health behaviours, recovery from stress, weight and learning outcomes amo…
The global prevalence of childhood obesity has increased significantly, with World Health Organisation emphasising the importance of early childhood for promoting healthy growth and development. In Finland, 29% of boys and 18% of girls aged 2–16 years are living with overweight or obesity. The DAGIS Intervention in 2017–2018 in Southwest Finland aimed to promote healthy energy-balance related behaviours (EBRBs) and self-regulation skills in early…
The impact of adhering to a more plant-based menu on food waste at Finnish early childhood education and care centres
Purpose The aim of the study was to analyse how the introduction of an environmentally sustainable and healthy menu with a lower climate impact affects the amount of food waste (FW) at early education centres in Finland. This study provides new knowledge regarding the FW amount, type and origin at early education centres. Design/methodology/approach The study started with a baseline measurement period in autumn 2021, and follow-up measurements we…
Vegetable‐Related Parenting Practices, Parenting Style and Preschoolers' Vegetable Consumption: Cross‐Sectional Associations and the Moderating Role of Parenting Style
The specific food parenting practices used by parents, along with the broader parenting style that reflects the general characteristics of their approach to parenting, may influence children's vegetable consumption. We examined cross-sectional associations of parenting style constructs (nurturance, structure, behavioural control, inappropriate control, and overprotection) and vegetable-related parenting practices (VPP) ('encouragement and modelli…
Parental self-efficacy, parental restrictions and young children's food consumption: Does socio-economic status play a role
Compared with ample evidence on the influence of the home food environment on children's food consumption, associations between certain aspects of the social home food environment (such as parental self-efficacy (PSE) and parental restrictions) and young children's food consumption are less studied. Our aims were 1) to investigate the associations among feeding-related PSE, sugary food and drink (SFD)-related parental restrictions, and children's…
War exposure and changes in eating behaviours in Ukrainian school‐aged children: A cross‐sectional online survey
The war in Ukraine has exposed children to extremely high levels of acute and chronic stressors, which can impact their eating behaviour (EB). We aimed to determine the prevalence of war-induced, stress-related disruptions in EB of Ukrainian children. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among parents of 5- to 17-year-old children, who had experienced the war in Ukraine in February-May 2023. Guardians reported their child's various war ex…
How energy balance-related behaviours, temperament, stress and overweight associate: A cross-sectional study of Finnish preschoolers
Objective: This study aimed to (1) examine the clustering of energy balance-related behaviours (EBRB) and (2) investigate whether EBRB clusters, temperament and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) associate with overweight. Design: We assessed food consumption using food records, screen time (ST) using sedentary behaviour diaries, sleep consistency and temperament (negative affectivity, surgency, effortful control) using questionnaires and HCC usin…
Exploring parental secretive eating of sugary foods and drinks, and its associations with food consumption in families
As a way of modeling healthier eating habits for their children, parents may intentionally avoid consuming sugary foods and drinks (SFDs) in their presence but consume these on other occasions (later referred to as parental secretive eating). This study aimed to 1) explore the prevalence of parental secretive eating, 2) investigate the associations between parental secretive eating and SFD consumption in parents and children, and 3) qualitatively…
Associations between socioeconomic status, home food availability, parental role-modeling, and children’s fruit and vegetable consumption: A mediation analysis
Parental educational level showed more associations with children's FV consumption than relative family income. Our findings suggest that reducing the availability of SFD is as important as increasing the availability of FV to enhance children's FV consumption. Future interventions to improve children's dietary behaviors should pay greater attention to the lower SES segments of society. Longitudinal studies and intervention studies supporting the…
Food purchase behaviour in a Finnish population: Patterns, carbon footprints and expenditures – Addendum
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the 'Save PDF' action button
Parental Happiness Associates With the Co-occurrence of Preschool-Aged Children’s Healthy Energy Balance-Related Behaviors
We examined whether parental happiness associate with preschoolers’ healthy energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs) and with the co-occurrence of multiple healthy EBRBs. This cross-sectional study included 647 pairs of parents (88% mothers) and children (mean age 4.7, SD 0.9 years). Parents completed the Subjective Happiness Scale. In addition, ActiGraph accelerometers measured children’s physical activity, and parents reported screen time and f…
Effects of the Dagis randomized controlled trial on home environment and children’s food consumption according to the degree of implementation
ISRCTN57165350 (8 January, 2015)
Food purchase behaviour in a Finnish population: Patterns, carbon footprints and expenditures
Objective: To identify food purchase patterns and to assess their carbon footprint and expenditure. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Purchase patterns were identified by factor analysis from the annual purchases of 3435 product groups. The associations between purchase patterns and the total purchases’ carbon footprints (based on life-cycle assessment) and expenditure were analysed using linear regression and adjusted for nutritional energy cont…
Associations between Parent–Child Nature Visits and Sleep, Physical Activity and Weight Status among Finnish 3–6-Year-Olds
Nature visits and nature exposure have been shown to be favorably associated with children's health and development, but the research regarding their associations with children's lifestyle habits is limited. The current study aimed to investigate the associations between the frequency of parent-child nature visits and sleep, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and weight status among three- to six-year-old Finnish preschoolers. Parents …
Do stressed children have a lot on their plates? A cross-sectional study of long-term stress and diet among Finnish preschoolers
We examined the association between hair cortisol concentration (HCC) - an indicator of long-term stress - and diet among preschoolers in a cross-sectional design. The participants were 597 Finnish 3-6-year-olds, and the data were collected in 2015-16. We used 4-cm hair samples to analyze HCC during the past four months. Food consumption was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and we used consumption frequencies of selected food groups…
Does temperament make children differently susceptible to their home physical food environment? A cross-sectional Dagis study on 3–6 year old Finnish children's food consumption
Development of the Dagis intervention study: A preschool-based family-involving study promoting preschoolers’ energy balance-related behaviours and self-regulation skills
ISRCTN57165350 (Prospectively registered January the 8th, 2015)
Early educators’ practices and opinions in relation to pre-schoolers’ dietary intake at pre-school: Case Finland
Objective We aimed to examine associations between early educators’ feeding practices and opinions and children’s dietary intake at pre-school, in a context where uniform meals are served and pre-schools are highly regulated. Design Cross-sectional study. Food consumption data of the children consisted of two-day food records from pre-school kept by early educators. Early educators also reported their feeding practices and opinions on pre-school …
A cross-sectional study of children's temperament, food consumption and the role of food-related parenting practices
Although evidence exists of the association between children's temperament and weight, only few studies have examined how temperament is associated with actual food consumption among preschoolers. We examined concurrent associations between children's temperament and the consumption of different foods, and investigated whether the association between children's temperament and vegetable consumption is mediated by vegetable-related parenting pract…
Reproducibility of Preschool Personnel and Guardian Reports on Energy Balance-Related Behaviors and Their Correlates in Finnish Preschool Children
Valid and reliable non-objective assessments of guardian and preschool personnel reports are necessary when estimating young children's health behaviors. This study examines the test-retest reproducibility of (a) guardian and preschool personnel questionnaires about correlates of preschool-aged children's energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs), (b) a screen time diary, and (c) a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) reported by a guardian. A sampl…
Parental Education and Pre-School Children’s Objectively Measured Sedentary Time: The Role of Co-Participation in Physical Activity
Parental co-participation in physical activity (PA) may be a beneficial parenting practice for diminishing children's sedentary time (ST). Less information is available, however, on the explanatory role of co-participation in PA regarding parental educational differences in children's ST. Preschool-aged children (N = 864, mean age 4.8, 52% boys) with their parents participated in a cross-sectional DAGIS (Increased Health and Wellbeing in Pre-scho…
Increased Health and Wellbeing in Preschools (Dagis) Study—Differences in Children’s Energy Balance-Related Behaviors (EBRBs) and in Long-Term Stress by Parental Educational Level
This paper describes the Increased Health and Wellbeing in Preschools (DAGIS) survey process and socioeconomic status (SES) differences in children's energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs), meaning physical activity, sedentary and dietary behaviors, and long-term stress that serve as the basis for the intervention development. A cross-sectional survey was conducted during 2015−2016 in 66 Finnish preschools in eight municipalities involving 864 …
Dietary patterns and their associations with home food availability among Finnish pre-school children: A cross-sectional study
Objective To study the associations between home food availability and dietary patterns among pre-school children. Design Cross-sectional study in which parents of the participating children filled in an FFQ and reported how often they had certain foods in their homes. We derived dietary pattern scores using principal component analysis, and composite scores describing the availability of fruits and vegetables as well as sugar-enriched foods in t…
The mediating role of the home environment in relation to parental educational level and preschool children’s screen time: A cross-sectional study
Our study recognized multiple modifiable mediators in the associations between parental education and preschool children's screen time. When aiming to diminish socioeconomic status differences in preschool children's screen time, the focus should be on parental role models, attitudes, and norm related to children's screen time
A cross-sectional study of children's temperament, food consumption and the role of food-related parenting practices
Although evidence exists of the association between children's temperament and weight, only few studies have examined how temperament is associated with actual food consumption among preschoolers. We examined concurrent associations between children's temperament and the consumption of different foods, and investigated whether the association between children's temperament and vegetable consumption is mediated by vegetable-related parenting pract…
Do stressed children have a lot on their plates? A cross-sectional study of long-term stress and diet among Finnish preschoolers
We examined the association between hair cortisol concentration (HCC) - an indicator of long-term stress - and diet among preschoolers in a cross-sectional design. The participants were 597 Finnish 3-6-year-olds, and the data were collected in 2015-16. We used 4-cm hair samples to analyze HCC during the past four months. Food consumption was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and we used consumption frequencies of selected food groups…
The mediating role of the home environment in relation to parental educational level and preschool children’s screen time: A cross-sectional study
Our study recognized multiple modifiable mediators in the associations between parental education and preschool children's screen time. When aiming to diminish socioeconomic status differences in preschool children's screen time, the focus should be on parental role models, attitudes, and norm related to children's screen time
Reproducibility of Preschool Personnel and Guardian Reports on Energy Balance-Related Behaviors and Their Correlates in Finnish Preschool Children
Valid and reliable non-objective assessments of guardian and preschool personnel reports are necessary when estimating young children's health behaviors. This study examines the test-retest reproducibility of (a) guardian and preschool personnel questionnaires about correlates of preschool-aged children's energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs), (b) a screen time diary, and (c) a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) reported by a guardian. A sampl…
Parental Education and Pre-School Children’s Objectively Measured Sedentary Time: The Role of Co-Participation in Physical Activity
Parental co-participation in physical activity (PA) may be a beneficial parenting practice for diminishing children's sedentary time (ST). Less information is available, however, on the explanatory role of co-participation in PA regarding parental educational differences in children's ST. Preschool-aged children (N = 864, mean age 4.8, 52% boys) with their parents participated in a cross-sectional DAGIS (Increased Health and Wellbeing in Pre-scho…
Increased Health and Wellbeing in Preschools (Dagis) Study—Differences in Children’s Energy Balance-Related Behaviors (EBRBs) and in Long-Term Stress by Parental Educational Level
This paper describes the Increased Health and Wellbeing in Preschools (DAGIS) survey process and socioeconomic status (SES) differences in children's energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs), meaning physical activity, sedentary and dietary behaviors, and long-term stress that serve as the basis for the intervention development. A cross-sectional survey was conducted during 2015−2016 in 66 Finnish preschools in eight municipalities involving 864 …
Dietary patterns and their associations with home food availability among Finnish pre-school children: A cross-sectional study
Objective To study the associations between home food availability and dietary patterns among pre-school children. Design Cross-sectional study in which parents of the participating children filled in an FFQ and reported how often they had certain foods in their homes. We derived dietary pattern scores using principal component analysis, and composite scores describing the availability of fruits and vegetables as well as sugar-enriched foods in t…
Development of the Dagis intervention study: A preschool-based family-involving study promoting preschoolers’ energy balance-related behaviours and self-regulation skills
ISRCTN57165350 (Prospectively registered January the 8th, 2015)
Early educators’ practices and opinions in relation to pre-schoolers’ dietary intake at pre-school: Case Finland
Objective We aimed to examine associations between early educators’ feeding practices and opinions and children’s dietary intake at pre-school, in a context where uniform meals are served and pre-schools are highly regulated. Design Cross-sectional study. Food consumption data of the children consisted of two-day food records from pre-school kept by early educators. Early educators also reported their feeding practices and opinions on pre-school …
A cross-sectional study of children's temperament, food consumption and the role of food-related parenting practices
Although evidence exists of the association between children's temperament and weight, only few studies have examined how temperament is associated with actual food consumption among preschoolers. We examined concurrent associations between children's temperament and the consumption of different foods, and investigated whether the association between children's temperament and vegetable consumption is mediated by vegetable-related parenting pract…
Associations between Parent–Child Nature Visits and Sleep, Physical Activity and Weight Status among Finnish 3–6-Year-Olds
Nature visits and nature exposure have been shown to be favorably associated with children's health and development, but the research regarding their associations with children's lifestyle habits is limited. The current study aimed to investigate the associations between the frequency of parent-child nature visits and sleep, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and weight status among three- to six-year-old Finnish preschoolers. Parents …
Do stressed children have a lot on their plates? A cross-sectional study of long-term stress and diet among Finnish preschoolers
We examined the association between hair cortisol concentration (HCC) - an indicator of long-term stress - and diet among preschoolers in a cross-sectional design. The participants were 597 Finnish 3-6-year-olds, and the data were collected in 2015-16. We used 4-cm hair samples to analyze HCC during the past four months. Food consumption was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and we used consumption frequencies of selected food groups…
Does temperament make children differently susceptible to their home physical food environment? A cross-sectional Dagis study on 3–6 year old Finnish children's food consumption
Parental Happiness Associates With the Co-occurrence of Preschool-Aged Children’s Healthy Energy Balance-Related Behaviors
We examined whether parental happiness associate with preschoolers’ healthy energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs) and with the co-occurrence of multiple healthy EBRBs. This cross-sectional study included 647 pairs of parents (88% mothers) and children (mean age 4.7, SD 0.9 years). Parents completed the Subjective Happiness Scale. In addition, ActiGraph accelerometers measured children’s physical activity, and parents reported screen time and f…
Effects of the Dagis randomized controlled trial on home environment and children’s food consumption according to the degree of implementation
ISRCTN57165350 (8 January, 2015)
Food purchase behaviour in a Finnish population: Patterns, carbon footprints and expenditures
Objective: To identify food purchase patterns and to assess their carbon footprint and expenditure. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Purchase patterns were identified by factor analysis from the annual purchases of 3435 product groups. The associations between purchase patterns and the total purchases’ carbon footprints (based on life-cycle assessment) and expenditure were analysed using linear regression and adjusted for nutritional energy cont…
Associations between socioeconomic status, home food availability, parental role-modeling, and children’s fruit and vegetable consumption: A mediation analysis
Parental educational level showed more associations with children's FV consumption than relative family income. Our findings suggest that reducing the availability of SFD is as important as increasing the availability of FV to enhance children's FV consumption. Future interventions to improve children's dietary behaviors should pay greater attention to the lower SES segments of society. Longitudinal studies and intervention studies supporting the…
Food purchase behaviour in a Finnish population: Patterns, carbon footprints and expenditures – Addendum
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the 'Save PDF' action button
War exposure and changes in eating behaviours in Ukrainian school‐aged children: A cross‐sectional online survey
The war in Ukraine has exposed children to extremely high levels of acute and chronic stressors, which can impact their eating behaviour (EB). We aimed to determine the prevalence of war-induced, stress-related disruptions in EB of Ukrainian children. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among parents of 5- to 17-year-old children, who had experienced the war in Ukraine in February-May 2023. Guardians reported their child's various war ex…
How energy balance-related behaviours, temperament, stress and overweight associate: A cross-sectional study of Finnish preschoolers
Objective: This study aimed to (1) examine the clustering of energy balance-related behaviours (EBRB) and (2) investigate whether EBRB clusters, temperament and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) associate with overweight. Design: We assessed food consumption using food records, screen time (ST) using sedentary behaviour diaries, sleep consistency and temperament (negative affectivity, surgency, effortful control) using questionnaires and HCC usin…
Exploring parental secretive eating of sugary foods and drinks, and its associations with food consumption in families
As a way of modeling healthier eating habits for their children, parents may intentionally avoid consuming sugary foods and drinks (SFDs) in their presence but consume these on other occasions (later referred to as parental secretive eating). This study aimed to 1) explore the prevalence of parental secretive eating, 2) investigate the associations between parental secretive eating and SFD consumption in parents and children, and 3) qualitatively…
The impact of adhering to a more plant-based menu on food waste at Finnish early childhood education and care centres
Purpose The aim of the study was to analyse how the introduction of an environmentally sustainable and healthy menu with a lower climate impact affects the amount of food waste (FW) at early education centres in Finland. This study provides new knowledge regarding the FW amount, type and origin at early education centres. Design/methodology/approach The study started with a baseline measurement period in autumn 2021, and follow-up measurements we…
Vegetable‐Related Parenting Practices, Parenting Style and Preschoolers' Vegetable Consumption: Cross‐Sectional Associations and the Moderating Role of Parenting Style
The specific food parenting practices used by parents, along with the broader parenting style that reflects the general characteristics of their approach to parenting, may influence children's vegetable consumption. We examined cross-sectional associations of parenting style constructs (nurturance, structure, behavioural control, inappropriate control, and overprotection) and vegetable-related parenting practices (VPP) ('encouragement and modelli…
Parental self-efficacy, parental restrictions and young children's food consumption: Does socio-economic status play a role
Compared with ample evidence on the influence of the home food environment on children's food consumption, associations between certain aspects of the social home food environment (such as parental self-efficacy (PSE) and parental restrictions) and young children's food consumption are less studied. Our aims were 1) to investigate the associations among feeding-related PSE, sugary food and drink (SFD)-related parental restrictions, and children's…
Dagis Salo cohort profile: A longitudinal and cross-sectional study to identify environmental and individual factors linked to health behaviours, recovery from stress, weight and learning outcomes amo…
The global prevalence of childhood obesity has increased significantly, with World Health Organisation emphasising the importance of early childhood for promoting healthy growth and development. In Finland, 29% of boys and 18% of girls aged 2–16 years are living with overweight or obesity. The DAGIS Intervention in 2017–2018 in Southwest Finland aimed to promote healthy energy-balance related behaviours (EBRBs) and self-regulation skills in early…
Medicine (20 works) · Environmental health (15 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (15 works) · Psychology (14 works) · Developmental psychology (9 works) · Cross-sectional study (7 works) · Gerontology (6 works) · Physical activity (6 works) · Public health (6 works) · Biostatistics (5 works)