UKK Institute faces funding cuts as minister questions its role

Finland’s UKK Institute, a Tampere-based research centre focused on the health effects of physical activity, faces severe funding cuts after Social Affairs and Health Minister Wille Rydman questioned its special status, Yle reports.

“I would believe that whether a person goes for a run or not is mainly caused by factors other than the work carried out by the Urho Kekkonen Fitness Institute,” Rydman said in an interview with Yle and MTV News.

A budget proposal by Finance Minister Riikka Purra would cut most of the institute’s state grant compared with this year. The proposal concerns expenditure under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, which falls under Rydman’s responsibility.

The ministry has already reduced the institute’s grant for this year following a decision by Rydman. The institute has appealed that decision to the administrative court.

The UKK Institute was established in 1980 as a birthday present for President Urho Kekkonen. Its operations formally began in 1984, when its premises were completed in the Kauppi district of Tampere near Lake Näsijärvi. Its funding is governed by a separate act.

Developing and tracking physical activity

The institute’s director, Tommi Vasankari, divides its achievements into three main areas: researching the health effects of physical activity, developing targeted measures to increase activity among specific groups, and conducting regular population studies.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the institute was among the key organisations studying the health effects of physical activity and physical fitness. The period also saw the emergence of the concept of health-enhancing physical activity.

The institute became particularly known for its two-kilometre walking test. Vasankari said the test can measure the physical fitness of people who do not exercise or participate in sports relatively reliably and easily.

The test is known internationally, and in many countries it is still referred to as the UKK walking test. More than a decade ago, the institute introduced a six-minute walking test after people living busy lives said the two-kilometre test took too long.

Advice for pregnant women and heart patients

Another key part of the institute’s work involves physical activity interventions designed to increase activity among specific groups and reduce their risk of illness.

One example is an intervention for gestational diabetes carried out in the Pirkanmaa region. Maternity clinic nurses were instructed to discuss physical activity and nutrition more extensively with pregnant women during regular appointments.

The clinics involved were compared with units that continued operating as before. According to Vasankari, the children of mothers who visited the participating maternity clinics were smaller than those in the comparison units. He said the model has been in use for several years.

Another example involves heart centres, where people undergoing cardiac procedures take part in a three-month physical activity intervention. The programme uses technology developed by the UKK Institute, including an activity monitor connected to an application.

Population studies every four years

The institute also conducts regular population studies measuring how much people in different age groups exercise in Finland.

Since 2011, it has carried out a population study every four years covering four groups: children of basic education age, upper secondary and vocational students, working-age people, and older people.

The findings are compiled into a physical activity report describing levels of exercise and sedentary behaviour in Finland. The studies are used to assess whether Finns are sufficiently active and how many meet the recommended level of physical activity.