Speakers > Prof. Sami Kokko

Sami Kokko is a professor in health promotion at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä (JYU), Finland. Sami is also a director of the Research Centre for Health Promotion (RCHP). The main research expertize is on the settings-based health promotion, especially in sports club setting and physical activity/sports promotion. Sami is the principle investigator of national Health Promoting Sports Club (HPSC) study and national school-aged physical activity behavior (SPA) study. HPSC is focusing on how sports clubs and coaches’ health promotion activity is associated with sports club participants physical activity, health behaviors and health. Results can be applied to develop the daily activities of youth sports clubs. SPA study gathers trend information on various variables related to physical activity of Finnish children and adolescents. The results offer valuable information where the actions to enhance PA should be directed. Sami has also been involved in a large national consortium study focusing on integrating physical activity and transport behaviors to enhance sustainable development. With over 200 publications Sami has contributed to science, but also to health and physical activity promotion policy and practice.