About me
My background is in health sciences and I got my PhD in the field of Gerontology (University of Tampere, Finland). In addition, I have a title of a docent in Ageing and social change (Linköping University, Sweden).
I am a principal investigator of the Vitality 90+ Study, which is a multidisciplinary research project on health, functioning, living conditions, quality of life and care needs among the oldest old individuals.
My research interests include health, functioning, health and social care use, and longevity. Especially I am interested in their predictors, social inequality and change over time. In addition, I am interested in extreme air temperature-related public health effects such as health care use and mortality among older people.
Project links
Main positions of trust
2026- Board member of the Age Institute
2025- Board member of the Finnish Society for Growth and Ageing Research
2022-2026 Member of the Faculty Council, Tampere University
2022-2025 Chair of the Finnish Society for Growth and Ageing Research
2022-2025 Board member of the Nordic Gerontological Federation
2022-2025 Representative in IAGG-ER
2015-2022 Board member of the Finnish Society for Growth and Ageing Research
2020-2021 Board member of the Gerontology Research Center (GEREC)
2017-2020 Secretary and an accountant of Nordic Gerontological Federation
2014-2016 Membership secretary, Finnish Society for Growth and Ageing Research
2013-2015 Student member of DPPH board, (Doctoral Programs in Public Health)
Research topics
Health and functioning in old age
Socioeconomic position
Health inequality
Longevity
Health expectancies
Health and social care services
Research fields
Gerontology
Health Sciences
Epidemiology
Selected publications
Peer reviewed publications
Kyrönlahti S, Halonen P, Rizzuto D, Welmer AK, Hassig L, Finkel D, Fors S, Berglund JS, Enroth L. 2026. Disability trajectories in the last years of life: a Swedish longitudinal multi-cohort study. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. Accepted September 10th, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glag226
Enroth L, Kananen L, Tapola E & Pulkki J. 2026. How are non-optimal air temperatures related to health care use among older populations in Europe? A systematic scoping review 2000-2024. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. Accepted May 20th, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948261460380
Enroth L, Tuominen K, Halonen P, Lampio T, Kananen L, Tiainen K, Marttila S, Satamo M, Jylhävä J, Siren A. 2026. Pitkäikäisyyden tutkiminen ja kohorttidynamiikka: eettiset kysymykset, terveyden kehityskulut ja valikoituminen. Sosiaalilääketieteellinen aikakauslehti, 63(3), 598-618. https://doi.org/10.23990/sa.177287
Halonen, P., Aaltonen, M., Jylhä, M. & Enroth, L. (2026). Pitkäikäisten ihmisten terveys ja toimintakyky eri hoiva- ja asuinmuodoissa 2001-2022 - Tervaskannot 90+ -tutkimus. (Changing Care Needs and Living Arrangements Among the Oldest Old: Findings from the Vitality 90+ Study). Sosiaalilääketieteellinen aikakauslehti, 63(2), 404-419. https://doi.org/10.23990/sa.162694
Halonen P, Haapanen M, Koskinen S, Jääskeläinen T, von Bonsdorff Mi, Eriksson JG, Lund R, Hägg S, Jylhävä J, Religa D, Molnar C, Enroth L, Kulmala J, Jylhä M, Kananen L. 2026. A comparison of self-rated health, frailty index, and multimorbidity as predictors of four-year all-cause mortality: a multi-cohort study in 30+ adult populations. Preprint February 26th. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8099259/v1
Pulkki J, Aaltonen M, Jylhä M, Enroth L. 2025. Is home always the best place to live? Preferences for place of residence and long-term care among the community-dwelling oldest old in Finland. European journal of Public Health, 35(6), 1198-1203. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaf196
Abraham SB, Pulkki J, Aaltonen M, Jämsen E, Enroth L. 2025. Frequency and predictors of emergency department visits among the oldest old in Finland: the Vitality 90+ Study. BMC Health Services Research 25, 807. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12923-2
Kemppainen L, Kemppainen T, Raitanen J, Enroth L, Halonen P, Jylhä M, Kouvonen A, Pulkki J. 2025. Overall and site-specific cancer mortality among older migrants and non-migrants in Finland: A population register study on all deaths, 2002–2020. Cancer Medicine, 14(22), e71380. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.71380
Kahlman M, Enroth L, Halonen, J.I & Pasanen T. 2025. Associations of urban green space use with anxiety, stress, and insomnia symptoms among Finnish suburban residents. Psychiatria fennica, 56, 38-55. Kahlman et al. 2025.pdf
Tirkkonen A, Mak JKL, Eriksson JG, Halonen P, Jylhävä J, Hägg S, Enroth L, Raitanen J, Hovatta I, Jääskeläinen T, Koskinen S, Haapanen MJ, von Bonsdorff MB, Kananen L. 2025. Predicting cardiovascular morbidity and mortality with SCORE2 (OP) and Framingham risk estimates in combination with indicators of biological ageing. Age and Ageing 54(4). https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaf075
Nosraty L, Nevalainen J, Raitanen J, Enroth L. 2024. Tree-based analysis of longevity predictors and their ten-year changes: a 35-Year mortality follow-up. BMC Geriatrics 24, 817. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-05404-4
Enroth L, Halonen P, Tiainen K, Raitanen J, Jylhä M. 2023. Cohort profile: The Vitality 90+ Study. A cohort study on health and living conditions of the oldest old in Tampere, Finland. BMJ open, 13(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068509
Halonen P, Jämsen E, Enroth L, Jylhä M. 2023. Agreement between self-reported information and health register data on chronic diseases in the oldest old. Clinical Epidemiology 785-794. https://doi.org/10.2147/CLEP.S410971
Vargese S, Jylhä M, Raitanen J, Enroth L, Halonen P, Aaltonen M. 2023. Dementia-related disability in the population aged 90 years and over: Differences over time and the role of comorbidity in the Vitality 90+ Study. BMC Geriatrics 23(1), 276. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-03980-5
Halonen P, Enroth L, Tiainen K, Jylhä M 2022. Dementia and related comorbidities in the population aged 90 and over in the Vitality 90+ Study, Finland: patterns and trends from 2001 to 2018. Journal of Aging and Health. https://doi.org/10.1177/08982643221123451
Enroth L, Jasilionis D, Németh L, Strand BH, Tanjung I, Sundberg L, Fors S, Jylhä M & Brønnum-Hansen H. Changes in socioeconomic differentials in old age life expectancy in four Nordic countries – The impact of educational expansion and education-specific mortality. European Journal of Ageing, 19, 161–173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-022-00698-y
Enroth L, Fors S 2021. Trends in the social class inequalities in disability and self-rated health: Repeated cross-sectional surveys from Finland and Sweden 2001-2018. International Journal of Public Health, 66:645513. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2021.645513
Kananen L, Enroth L, Raitanen J, Jylhävä J, Bürkle A, Moreno Villanueva M, Bernhardt J, Toussaint O, Grubeck Loebenstein B, Malavolta M, Basso A, Piacenza F, Collino S, Gonos E.S, Sikora E, Gradinaru D, Jansen E.H.J.M, Dollé M.E.T, Salmon M, Stuetz W, Weber D, Grune T, Breusing N, Simm A, Capri M, Franceschi C, Slagboom P.E, Talbot D.C.S, Libert C, Koskinen S, Bruunsgaard H, Hansen Å.M, Lund R, Hurme M, Jylhä M 2021. Self rated health in individuals with and without disease is associated with multiple biomarkers representing multiple biological domains. Scientific Reports 11, 6139. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85668-7
Enroth L, Pulkki J 2021. Aistivaikeudet, arki ja toimintakyky 90 vuotta täyttäneillä. (Sensory difficulties, everyday life and functional ability among people aged 90+). Gerontologia, 35(2), 121-137. https://doi.org/10.23989/gerontologia.96102
Enroth L, Raitanen J, Halonen P, Tiainen K, Jylhä M 2021. Trends of Physical Functioning, Morbidity, and Disability-Free Life Expectancy Among the Oldest Old: Six Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys Between 2001 and 2018 in the Vitality 90+ Study. The Journals of Gerontology; Series A, 76(7), 1227-1233. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa144
Enroth L, Veenstra M, Aartsen M, Kjær AA, Juul Nilsson C & Fors S 2019. Are there educational disparities in health among the oldest old? Evidence from the Nordic countries. European Journal of Ageing, 16, 415-424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-019-00517-x
Hoogendijk EO, van der Noordt M, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, Deeg DJH, Huisman M, Enroth L & Jylhä M 2019. Sex differences in healthy life expectancy among nonagenarians: A multistate survival model using data from the Vitality 90+ study. Experimental Gerontology, 116, 80-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2018.12.015
Halonen P, Raitanen J, Enroth L, Jämsen E & Jylhä M 2019. Chronic conditions and multimorbidity in population aged 90 years and over: associations with mortality and long-term care admission. Age and Ageing, 48(4), 564-570. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afz019
Nosraty L, Pulkki J, Raitanen J, Enroth L & Jylhä M 2019. Successful Aging as a Predictor of Long-Term Care Among Oldest Old: The Vitality 90+ Study. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 38(4), 553-571. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464817716968
Jylhä M, Enroth L, Halonen P (2019). Vanhoista vanhimpien terveys ja toimintakyky. Duodecim, 135 (11), 1085-1091.
Enroth L, Aaltonen M, Raitanen J, Nosraty L & Jylhä M 2018. Does use of long-term care differ between occupational classes among the oldest old? Vitality 90+ Study. European Journal of Ageing, 15(2), 143-153. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10433-017-0445-0
Jørgensen TSH, Fors S, Nilsson CJ, Enroth L, Aaltonen M, Sundberg L, Brønnum-Hansen H, Strand BH, Chang M ja Jylhä M. 2018. The ageing populations in the Nordic countries: mortality and longevity from 1990-2014. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 47(6), 611-617. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckx187.608
Kauppi M, Raitanen J, Stenholm S, Aaltonen M, Enroth L & Jylhä M 2018. Predictors of long-term care among nonagenarians: the Vitality 90 + Study with linked data of the care registers. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 30(8), 913-919. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0869-6
Halonen P, Enroth L, Jylhä M, Tiainen K. 2017. Pitkäaikaissairaudet ja monisairastavuus hyvin vanhoilla sekä niiden yhteys toimintakykyyn ja itse arvioituun terveyteen-Tervaskannot 90+ -tutkimus. (Chronic conditions and multimorbidity - associations with functioning and self-rated health among nonagenarians: The Vitality 90+ Study). Gerontologia, 31(4), 269-281. https://doi.org/10.23989/gerontologia.65943
Enroth L, Raitanen J, Hervonen A, Lehtimäki T, Jylhävä J, Hurme M & Jylhä M 2016. Cardiometabolic and Inflammatory Biomarkers as Mediators between Educational Level and Functioning at the Age of 90 Years. The Journals of Gerontology; Series A, 71(3), 412–419. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glv105
Enroth L, Raitanen J, Hervonen A, Nosraty L & Jylhä M. 2015. Is Socioeconomic Status a Predictor of Mortality in Nonagenarians? The Vitality 90+ Study. Age and Ageing, 44, 123-129. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afu092
Nosraty L, Enroth L, Raitanen J, Hervonen A & Jylhä M. 2015. Do Successful Agers Live Longer? The Vitality 90+ Study. Journal of Aging and Health, 27(1), 35-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264314535804
Enroth L, Raitanen J, Hervonen A & Jylhä M. 2013. Do Socioeconomic Health Differences Persist in Nonagenarians? The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 68(5), 837-847. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbt067
Jylhä M, Enroth L & Luukkaala T. 2013. Trends of functioning and health in nonagenarians − the Vitality 90+ Study. In Robine JM. Jagger C. & Crimmins E. Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 33, ”Healthy Longevity”. Springer Publishing Company, 313-332.
Helminen S, Sarkeala T, Enroth L, Hervonen A & Jylhä M. 2012. Vanhoista vanhimpien terveys ja elämäntilanne – tuloksia vuoden 2010 Tervaskannot 90+ -tutkimuksesta. Gerontologia, 26(3), 162–171. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:uta-201702131130
THESES
Enroth L. 2017. Doctoral thesis: Social inequality in the health of the oldest old: Socioeconomic differences in health, functioning, mortality and long-term care use in the population aged 90+. University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland. Tampere University Press. (Acta Electronica Universitatis Tamperensis 1840). http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-0599-4
Enroth L. 2011. Master’s thesis: Sosioekonomiset erot vanhoista vanhimpien terveydessä. Tampereen yliopisto. http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-21599