Skills, support, and physical activity – TAITURIT study data


Laukkanen, Arto; Sääkslahti, Arja; Niemistö, Donna; Aunola, Kaisa; Meklin, Elina; Luukkainen, Nanne-Mari; Barnett, Lisa M; Cantell, Marja; Clark, Cain. (2025). Skills, support, and physical activity – TAITURIT study data. V. 20.1.2023. University of Jyväskylä. https://doi.org/10.17011/jyx/dataset/100108.


JYU authors: 
  • Contact person (yes/no): Yes
  • Contact person (yes/no): No
  • Contact person (yes/no): No
  • Contact person (yes/no): No
  • Contact person (yes/no): No
  • Contact person (yes/no): No
  • Contact person (yes/no): No

All authors: Laukkanen, Arto; Sääkslahti, Arja; Niemistö, Donna; Aunola, Kaisa; Meklin, Elina; Luukkainen, Nanne-Mari; Barnett, Lisa M; Cantell, Marja; Clark, Cain

Funders: Ministry of Education and Culture; University of Jyväskylä; Juho Vainio Foundation

Right-holders: 

Contributors: 


Availability and identifiers

Availability: Contact owner

Publication year: 2025

URN identifier in original repository: http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202502071898

DOI identifier in original repository: https://doi.org/10.17011/jyx/dataset/100108

URN identifier in JYX: http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202502071898

DOI identifier in JYX: https://doi.org/10.17011/jyx/dataset/100108


Description of the dataset

Description: Physical inactivity in children is widespread and increases with age. Inactivity associates with increased risk of health problems. Therefore, this project will test mechanisms leading to physical activity in children. The project adopts a geographically randomized and representative longitudinal design with altogether three time points, at children’s ages of 3-7-years, 7-10-years and 11-12-years (aimed amount of children = 932). The study will test two main hypotheses. First, motor competence in early and middle childhood predicts physical activity later in childhood and health-related fitness is the mechanism which explains this association. Second, social support from important others in early and middle childhood predicts physical activity later in childhood and physical literacy explains this association. New knowledge leads to better tools for physical activity services and help to develop more effective physical activity interventions in families, health care and sport clubs.

The data includes questionnaires and field measurements (e.g. physical functional capacity, motor competence, and motor creativity) for children, questionnaires for children's parents and questionnaires for teachers responsible for children's physical education.

Detailed documentation of the data is published separately.

Language: Finnish

Free keywords: children, exercise, sport, physical activity, motor development, parents, parenting, parenthood, physical education, friends, peers, physical education teacher, sports coach, trainer

Keywords (YSO): physical training; motor skills (general); families with children; parenthood; physical education (upbringing); physical education teachers; friends; coaches (occupations); creativity

Fields of science: 516 Educational sciences; 515 Psychology; 315 Sport and fitness sciences

Follow-up groups: Sport Pedagogy (Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences LTK, SPORT) LPE; Sport and Exercise Psychology (Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences LTK, SPORT) LPS; Psychology (Department of Psychology PSY) PSY; School of Resource Wisdom (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Wisdom; Teacher education research (teaching, learning, teacher, learning paths, education) (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Edu; Formerly JYU.Ope; School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well; Social Sustainability for Children and Families (University of Jyväskylä JYU) SOSUS; Behaviour change, health, and well-being across the lifespan (University of Jyväskylä JYU) BC-Well; Physical activity through life span (University of Jyväskylä JYU) PACTS

Do you deal with data concerning special categories of personal data in your research?: Yes


Projects related to dataset


Publications and other outputs related to dataset


Last updated on 2025-07-02 at 18:06