Teenage girl drinks an energy drink in Helsinki. Photo: Emmi Korhonen / Lehtikuva

Six in ten young people in the Nordic countries consume energy drinks at least once a week, while more than one in five drink them daily, according to a study funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. Finland stands out for the age at which consumption begins, with one in four Finnish respondents saying they started before turning 12.

The study surveyed 4,916 young people in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland about energy drinks and other sources of caffeine.

A woman at home. Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have identified five patterns of brain activity among people diagnosed with depression, finding that patients with the same diagnosis showed differences in communication between brain regions.

The study involved 263 people with depression and 75 healthy participants. Researchers divided patients into five groups based on the strength and frequency of functional connections between different parts of the brain.

Photo: Unsplash

A Finnish study has found that protected earnings allowances in unemployment and housing benefits increased part-time work among unemployed people without weakening their chances of moving into full-time employment later.

The research, conducted by Labore, Tampere University and the VATT Institute for Economic Research, examined reforms introduced in 2014 and 2015.

The report was written by Lauri Finér, executive director of the Kalevi Sorsa Foundation, and Jussi Systä, an economic policy expert. Photo: Emmi Korhonen / Lehtikuva

Finland’s main economic forecasting institutions have repeatedly missed actual GDP growth by wide margins, according to a new study by the Kalevi Sorsa Foundation, which argues that fiscal policy should rely less heavily on forecasts and more on confirmed economic data.

The report examined forecasts from the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Finland, Etla, Pellervo Economic Research, Labore, Nordea and OP Pohjola.

White Kia Niro EV SG2 EV SUV. Photo: Damian B Oh via Wikipedia Commons

A study of almost 10,000 battery tests on used electric vehicles in Sweden found that several models retain more than 95% of their original battery capacity after driving more than 100,000 kilometres.

The analysis, released by Swedish used electric vehicle retailer Carla, examined 9,954 battery tests carried out between 2022 and 2026 using diagnostics from Austrian battery testing company AVILOO. The data covers a broad selection of electric vehicles sold on the Swedish second-hand market.

A woman working at an office in Helsinki. Photo: Emmi Korhonen / Lehtikuva

Most people in Finland now see paid work primarily as a way to finance other parts of their lives rather than as a source of personal fulfilment, according to a new survey published by the Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA.

The findings suggest attitudes towards work have shifted over the past 15 years, with financial security and work-life balance becoming more important than work itself.

Pet dog microbes may protect children under one year of age. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva

Children who grow up in homes with pet dogs experience fewer respiratory tract infections during their first year of life and require fewer courses of antibiotics, according to new research from Finland.

Researchers found that microbes carried by dogs into the home account for part of the health benefit, helping shape the microbial environment that young children are exposed to during early life.

Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva

Finland’s electricity system may face supply pressures in the early 2030s as electric vehicle use grows and power production becomes more dependent on weather, according to new research from Aalto University.

The study warns that cold, low-wind periods in early winter pose the clearest risk. Demand rises during those conditions, while wind power output often falls.

Aalto University researchers said charging patterns for electric vehicles will play a large role in whether the system copes with peak demand.

Sausages and meat products often contain preservatives.

A study involving more than 112,000 adults has found links between several widely used food preservatives and a higher risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Researchers in France tracked participants for up to eight years and found that people with the highest intake of certain preservatives faced greater rates of hypertension, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions.

The findings were published in the European Heart Journal.

Photo: ICPonline

Sickness-related absences from work cost Finland about €5 billion each year in lost productivity, according to a new study that highlights the wider economic impact of illness on businesses and public finances.

The report estimates that workers were absent for around 25 million working days in 2023, equivalent to roughly 110,000 full-time working years.