Health examination / HealthStart
You’ll be asked to complete the HealthStart questionnaire at the start of your first term as a first-time degree student at a Finnish higher education institution. It provides feedback on your health and helps us guide you to other FSHS services if you need them.
What is HealthStart?
HealthStart is a questionnaire for first-year students, made available in YTHSDigi at the start of the academic term.
The questions in HealthStart are divided into four domains:
- health status and quality of life
- health behaviours
- factors affecting your ability to study
- oral health
Based on your answers, you’ll receive recommendations for improving your health. If appropriate, you’ll also be directed to other FSHS services, such as self-care material or an appointment with one of our professionals.
Why complete the HealthStart questionnaire?
Starting your studies is a life change like any other, and changes, whether positive or negative, can affect your personal resources. By completing the HealthStart questionnaire you’ll get an overview of your health, which will help you make healthy choices that are right for you and your situation. The questionnaire also helps identify potential health risk factors that you should address early on.
As statistical analyses of student answers are performed separately for each higher education institution, completing the questionnaire will also help your institution to get data on the wellbeing of its students. The statistical data will only be sent to your institution without identifiers, so your answers can’t be linked to your personal data outside the FSHS.
How to complete the HealthStart questionnaire
When you first start using the YTHSDigi service, make sure to:
- enter your phone number under your contact details in the service
- allow notifications from the mobile app.
Click here for instructions on how to start using the YTHSDigi app
If you’ve entered your phone number in the app, you’ll be notified via SMS when the HealthStart questionnaire becomes available for you to complete. You can find it either on the YTHSDigi front page or under My Events in the menu.
After completing the questionnaire, you can access the feedback you received any time under My Events.
If your answers suggest you might benefit from an appointment with a healthcare professional, you’ll receive a booking permission in YTHSDigi. If you later need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, please do so at least 24 hours before your appointment is due to start.
Click here for instructions on how to reschedule or cancel an FSHS appointment
The FSHS has a statutory duty to organise a health check for first-year students. This check consists of the HealthStart questionnaire and, where needed, an appointment with an FSHS professional.