Arto Laukkanen

Arto Laukkanen

Senior Lecturer
Unit
Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences
Room number
L 366
Mobile
+358408053611
Postal address
Keskussairaalantie 4
Fields of science
319 Other medical sciences

Biography

I work as a senior lecturer in sport pedagogy and work as part of the multidisciplinary profiling area of Social Sustainability for Children and Families (SOSUS). My teaching responsibilities relate to basic physical exercising environment (basic course, didactic course, and advanced course) and supervision of theses (bachelor, master and doctoral). The main focus areas of study are physical education, interaction promoting physical activity in child-adult relationships, and developmental mechanisms of physical activity behaviour and motor development in children and adolescents. I led the Taiturit research funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture during 2021-2023 and supervise two PhD dissertations as the principal supervisor and one as the second supervisor (dissertation was completed in November 2024). In addition to the Taiturit project, I supervise one PhD dissertation as the first supervisor. I disseminate the evidence-based knowledge not through physical education teacher education but also through national networks that promote physical activity, such as the Monitoring and Evaluation Group for Physical Activity in Young Children (Parvi) and through the national On the Move programmes (e.g. Joy in Motion, and Active Family).

Research interests

Physical inactivity in children is widespread and increases with age. Inactivity associates with increased risk of health problems. Therefore, the ongoing Taiturit 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 10-12-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.

Publications

Publication
2025
Available through Open Access
Valtion liikuntaneuvoston julkaisuja.
Kokko, Sami
Hämylä, Riikka
Puupponen, Maija
Villberg, Jari
Husu, Pauliina
Vasankari, Tommi
Ray, Carola
Kwok, Ng
Tokola, Kari
Vähä-Ypyä, Henri
Hirvensalo, Mirja
Palomäki, Sanna
Laukkanen, Arto
Huotari, Pertti
Lyyra, Nelli
Rajala, Katja
Kämppi, Katariina
Hakonen, Harto
Kulmala, Janne
Tammelin, Tuija
Siekkinen, Kirsti
Haikari, Janne
Turunen, Marianne
Kallio, Jouni
Mononen, Kaisu
Blomqvist, Minna
Koski, Pasi
Toivonen, Virve
Kananen, Marko
Leppänen, Mari
Parkkari, Jari
Toivo, Kerttu
Launistola, Henna
Simonsen, Nina
Pohjavirta, Anni
Pikkupeura-Rikkilä, Vilma
Asunta, Piritta
Hakamäki, Matti
Huhtiniemi, Mikko
Huovinen, Terhi
Sokka, Miika
Koskimaa, Raine
Karhulahti, Veli-Matti
Paakkari, Leena
Tynjälä, Jorma
Paakkari, Olli
Ojala, Kristiina
Laasonen, Antti
Appelqvist-Schmidlechner, Kaija
Publication
2024
Available through Open Access
JMIR Research Protocols.
Phipps, Daniel
Green, Weldon Thomas
Aho, Reetta
Kettunen, Eeva
Biddle, Stuart
Hamilton, Kyra
Laukkanen, Arto
Aunola, Kaisa
Chan, Derwin King
Hankonen, Nelli
Hassandra, Mary
Kärkkäinen, Tommi
Kykyri, Virpi-Liisa
Polet, Juho
Rhodes, Ryan
Ruiz, Montse C
Sääkslahti, Arja
Schneider, Jekaterina
Toivonen, Hanna-Mari
Lintunen, Taru
Hagger, Martin
Knittle, Keegan