Tampere University

06/05/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/05/2025 06:54

Investing in maternal and child health pays off – every euro spent on prevention generates a manifold return

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has increased dramatically over the past few decades, with most cases persisting into adulthood. At the same time, children and adolescents are becoming increasingly sedentary, getting less sleep and a growing number are experiencing mental health challenges.

Lifestyle diseases that typically emerge in middle age are now being diagnosed in children, including fatty liver disease, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes (formerly known as adult-onset diabetes), elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

"In my research data, only one in three children who were obese did not have any of these conditions associated with obesity. This is disconcerting because research shows that conditions such as fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes are more difficult to manage and advance more rapidly when diagnosed in children compared to adults," says MD Linnea Aitokari, a physician at Valkeakoski Healthcare Centre who is training to become a specialist in general medicine.

Aitokari earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Tampere University in the autumn of 2024. Her dissertation explored liver-affecting disorders in children and the methods used for their screening. She now continues her research in the TamCAM centre, alongside her regular job.

Her former supervisor, Prof. Kalle Kurppa, points out that every euro invested by our society in preventing diseases among children and adolescents is saved many times over. If children and adolescents are unwell, it will lead to substantial costs both now and in the future, when they are expected to enter the workforce healthy and with their full work capacity.

"The treatment of diseases is extremely costly, whereas their prevention is extremely cost-effective," he sums up.

Research covers the full span of childhood

TamCAM unites research groups across Tampere University that are focused on studying maternal, foetal, childhood and adolescent health.

The research centre prioritises the study of pregnancy and its effects on the health of mothers and children, the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in children and adolescents as well as psychological well-being during adolescence.

"Our research spans the entire period of childhood, from pre-conception to early adulthood," says Professor Kurppa, who also serves as the Vice Director of TamCAM.

The multidisciplinary centre offers collaboration opportunities for researchers in education and research, with plans to further strengthen synergies in the future.

Kurppa's research group has extensively studied autoimmune diseases, including the screening and early diagnosis of coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes. More recently, their research has expanded to also include childhood obesity and related conditions.

The group strives to identify and implement effective strategies to enhance the health of children and adolescents from prenatal stages to early adulthood.

"Promoting maternal and child health from pregnancy onwards is a worthwhile investment, as even minor changes during this period can lead to major benefits. In addition, families are often more motivated to make changes during pregnancy and are keen to receive support," Kurppa notes.

Meaningful research with substantial impact

Linnea Aitokari's research is a prime example of how register-based research findings can be applied in practice.

While working on her dissertation, Aitokari discovered that fatty liver disease is surprisingly common in children. The case histories in her research data revealed that as many as one in five children who were overweight or obese were diagnosed with this condition. Based on these findings, it is recommended that all children around the age of 10 who are receiving medical care for obesity should be screened for fatty liver disease.

Aitokari continues to analyse the same data in a new study. She is collaborating with gynaecologists at TamCAM to identify risk factors during pregnancy that could contribute to childhood obesity and related conditions, such as fatty liver disease, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. In addition, she is investigating the long-term outcomes for the children included in the study, such as the type of medical care they have received as adults and the effectiveness of the treatment methods.

"The idea is to utilise these findings to plan a longitudinal study. We hope to implement health interventions during pregnancy and monitor their impact on children's health."

KUVA: Linnea Aitokari finds her work as a researcher very meaningful. "Funding research is essential because it enables us to address problems and improve the cost-efficiency of healthcare," she emphasises.

The aim is to ensure that the practices and interventions that are found to be effective are widely adopted in clinical practice in the future.

"I find my work as a researcher very meaningful. While my daily work as a physician is also fulfilling, through research I may be able to make a broader impact on a larger group of people," Aitokari says.

Help and support - not laying guilt

What, then, are the most effective methods for preventing and addressing childhood obesity?

According to Linnea Aitokari, childhood obesity is difficult to manage. It is a sensitive issue that is often associated with mental health challenges and is more common in families that are already dealing with difficulties, such as financial struggles or parental mental health issues.

"As lifestyle advice alone is rarely enough, healthcare professionals should adopt a multiprofessional approach and consider each family's unique circumstances. Interventions where parents and children make lifestyle changes together have been found to produce the best results."

Besides providing personalised guidance, treatment and support, we need to implement societal changes to effectively address childhood obesity. This could include measures such as imposing higher taxes on unhealthy foods, providing support for children's extracurricular sports activities and incorporating more physical activity into school days.

"Obesity is often associated with genetic factors, making it challenging to implement changes in today's environment. For some people, maintaining a normal weight is more difficult due to cultural trends that shape our eating and exercise habits," Aitokari says.

Professor Kalle Kurppa emphasises that children and adolescents should never be blamed for being overweight or obese. Addressing the situation requires effort from the child or adolescent, but they are not at fault for developing weight issues.

Recently, there has been public debate about whether individuals should pay more for healthcare if they do not maintain a healthy lifestyle. Kurppa is doubtful that this approach would motivate people to take better care of their health.

"I think that focusing on assigning blame rather than identifying the underlying causes could lead us down a slippery slope. Instead, we should guide and nudge people towards making healthier choices," he says.

Tampere University published this content on June 05, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 05, 2025 at 12:54 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io