Tarja Kinnunen

University lecturer, PhD (epidemiology), docent (adjunct professor) in nutritional epidemiology

• Teaching, curriculum work and other tasks in the international master and doctoral degree programmes at the School of Health Sciences

• Supervision of students in their Master’s and Doctoral theses

• Research

• Lifestyle and health in pregnant and postpartum women, and women in reproductive age. Especially diet, physical activity, and prevention of excessive pregnancy-related weight gain and gestational diabetes.

• Health of migrants and ethnic minority groups 

• Study methods: Randomised controlled trials, other epidemiological study designs

• Lifestyle and health in pregnant and postpartum women, and women in reproductive age. Especially diet, physical activity, and prevention of excessive pregnancy-related weight gain and gestational diabetes.

• Health of migrants and ethnic minority groups 

1. Kinnunen TI, Luoto R, Gissler M, Hemminki E. Pregnancy weight gain from 1960s to 2000 in Finland. Int J Obes 2003;27:1572-1577.

2. Luoto R, Kinnunen TI, Koponen P, Kaaja R, Männistö S, Vartiainen E. Naisten lisääntymisterveys Suomessa. Tuloksia Finriski 2002 –tutkimuksesta. Suomen Lääkärilehti 2004;59:885-891. (In Finnish, work on women’s reproductive health in Finland)

3. Kinnunen TI, Luoto R, Gissler M, Hemminki E, Hilakivi-Clarke L. Pregnancy weight gain and breast cancer risk. BMC Women’s health 2004;4:7. 

4. Kaaja R, Kinnunen T, Luoto R. Regional differences in prevalence of preeclampsia in relation to the risk factors for coronary artery disease in women in Finland. European Heart Journal 2005;26:44-50.

5. Kinnunen TI, Pasanen M, Aittasalo M, Fogelholm M, Hilakivi-Clarke L, Weiderpass E, Luoto R. Preventing excessive weight gain during pregnancy – a controlled trial in primary health care. Eur J Clin Nutr 2007;61:884-891.

6. Luoto R, Aittasalo M, Kinnunen TI. Ravinto ja liikunta raskausdiabeteksen ehkäisyssä. Suomen Lääkärilehti 2007;62:513-518. (A review article on diet and physical activity in the prevention of GDM, published in a Finnish medical journal)

7. Kinnunen TI, Pasanen M, Aittasalo M, Fogelholm M, Weiderpass E, Luoto R. Reducing postpartum weight retention – a pilot trial in primary health care. Nutr J 2007, 6:21 

8. Kinnunen TI, Aittasalo M, Koponen P, Ojala K, Mansikkamäki K, Weiderpass E, Fogelholm M, Luoto R. Feasibility of a controlled trial aiming to prevent excessive pregnancy-related weight gain in primary health care. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2008;8:37 

9. Aittasalo M, Pasanen M, Fogelholm M, Kinnunen TI, Ojala K, Luoto R. Physical activity counseling in maternity and child health care - a controlled trial. BMC Womens Health. 2008;8:14.

10. Luoto RM, Kinnunen TI, Aittasalo M, Ojala K, Mansikkamaki K, Toropainen E, Kolu P, Vasankari T. Prevention of gestational diabetes: design of a cluster - randomised controlled trial and one-year-follow-up. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2010, 10:39 (3 August 2010)

11. Luoto R, Kinnunen TI, Aittasalo M, Kolu P, Raitanen J, Ojala K, Mansikkamaki K, Lamberg S, Vasankari T, Komulainen T, Tulokas S. Primary prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus and large-for-gestational-age newborns by lifestyle counseling: a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Plos Med 2011;8(5):e1001036. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001036

12. Kinnunen TI, Tennant PWG, McParlin C, Poston L, Robson SC, Bell R. Agreement between pedometer and accelerometer in measuring physical activity in overweight and obese pregnant women. BMC Public Health 2011, 11 (1): 501 (27 June 2011)

13. Aittasalo M, Raitanen J, Kinnunen TI, Ojala K, Kolu P, Luoto R. Is intensive counseling in maternity care feasible and effective in promoting physical activity among women at risk for gestational diabetes? Secondary analysis of a cluster randomized NELLI study in Finland. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2012, 9:104 (5 September 2012).

14. Helin A, Kinnunen TI, Raitanen J, Ahonen S, Virtanen SM, Luoto R. Iron intake, haemoglobin and risk of gestational diabetes: a prospective cohort study. BMJ Open 2012;2(5). 

15. Kinnunen TI, Raitanen J, Aittasalo M, Luoto R. Preventing excessive gestational weight gain - a secondary analysis of a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2012;66:1344-1350.

16. Puhkala J, Kinnunen TI, Vasankari T, Kukkonen-Harjula K, Raitanen J, Luoto R. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome one year after delivery in Finnish women at increased risk for gestational diabetes mellitus during pregnancy. Journal of Pregnancy 2013;2013:139049. doi: 10.1155/2013/139049. 

17. Poston L, Briley AL, Barr S, Bell R, Croker H, Coxon K, Essex HN, Hunt C, Hayes L, Howard LM, Khazaezadeh N, Kinnunen T, Nelson SM, Oteng-Ntim E, Robson SC, Sattar N, Seed PT, Wardle J, Sanders TA, Sandall J. Developing a complex intervention for diet and activity behaviour change in obese pregnant women (the UPBEAT trial); assessment of behavioural change and process evaluation in a pilot randomised controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2013;13:148. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/13/148

18. Kinnunen TI, Puhkala J, Raitanen J, Ahonen S, Aittasalo M, Virtanen SM, Luoto R. Effects of dietary counselling on food habits and dietary intake of Finnish pregnant women at increased risk for gestational diabetes – a secondary analysis of a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Maternal & Child Nutrition 2014;10:184-197.

19. Kinnunen TI, Neupane S. Prevalence of overweight among women of childbearing age in Nepal: Trends from 2001 to 2011 and associations with socio-demographic factors Matern Child Health J 2014;18:1846-1853.

20. Briley AL, Barr S, Badger S, Bell R, Croker H, Godfrey KM, Holmes B, Kinnunen TI, Nelson SM, Oteng-Ntim E, Patel N, Robson SC, Sandall J, Sanders T, Sattar N, Seed PT, Wardle J, Poston L. A complex intervention to improve pregnancy outcome in obese women; the UPBEAT randomized controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2014;14:74. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/14/74 

21. Leppänen M, Aittasalo M, Raitanen J, Kinnunen TI, Kujala UM, Luoto R. Physical activity during pregnancy: Predictors of change, perceived support and barriers among women at increased risk of gestational diabetes. Matern Child Health J 2014;18:2158-2166.

22. Ruifrok AE, Rogozinska E, van Poppel MN, Rayanagoudar G, Kerry S, de Groot CJ, Yeo S, Molyneaux E, McAuliffe FM, Poston L, Roberts T, Riley RD, Coomarasamy A, Khan K, Mol BW, Thangaratinam S; i-WIP (International Weight Management in Pregnancy) Collaborative Group. Study protocol: differential effects of diet and physical activity based interventions in pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes--individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis and health economic evaluation. Syst Rev. 2014 Nov 4;3:131. 

Erratum: Ruifrok AE, Rogozinska E, van Poppel MN, Rayanagoudar G, Kerry S, de Groot CJ, Yeo S, Molyneaux E, Barakat Carballo R, Perales M, Bogaerts A, Cecatti JG, Surita F, Dodd J, Owens J, El Beltagy N, Devlieger R, Teede H, Harrison C, Haakstad L, Shen GX, Shub A, Motahari N, Khoury J, Tonstad S, Luoto R, Kinnunen TI, Guelfi K, Facchinetti F, Petrella E, Phelan S, Scudeller TT, Rauh K, Hauner H, Renault K, Sagedal LR, Vistad I, Stafne SN, Mørkved S, Salvesen KÅ, Vinter C, Vitolo M, Astrup A, Geiker NR, McAuliffe F, Poston L, Roberts T, Riley RD, Coomarasamy A, Khan KS, Mol BW, Thangaratinam S. Erratum to: Study protocol: differential effects of diet and physical activity based interventions in pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes: individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis and health economic evaluation. Syst Rev. 2015 Jul 30;4:101. 

23. Hayes L, McParlin C, Kinnunen TI, Poston L, Robson SC, Bell R; UPBEAT Consortium. Change in level of physical activity during pregnancy in obese women: findings from the UPBEAT pilot trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2015;15(1):479. 

24. Bastola K, Neupane S, Hakdhale K, Kinnunen TI. Unintended pregnancy among married pregnant women in Nepal. J Womens Health, Issues and Care 2015;4:4.

25. Kinnunen TI, Luoto R, Helin A, Hemminki E. Supplemental iron intake and the risk of glucose intolerance in pregnancy – reanalysis of a randomised controlled trial in Finland. Matern Child Nutr 2016;12(1):74-84.

26. Rogozinska E, D'Amico MI, Khan KS, Cecatti JG, Teede H, Yeo S, Vinter CA, Rayanagoudar G, Barakat R, Perales M, Dodd JM, Devlieger R, Bogaerts A, van Poppel M, Haakstad L, Shen GX, Shub A, Luoto R, Kinnunen TI, Phelan S, Poston L, Scudeller TT, El Beltagy N, Stafne SN, Tonstad S, Geiker N, Ruifrok AE, Mol BW, Coomarasamy A, Thangaratinam S; International Weight Management in Pregnancy (iWIP) Collaborative Group. Development of composite outcomes for individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis on the effects of diet and lifestyle in pregnancy: a Delphi survey. BJOG 2016; 123:190-198. 

27. Kinnunen TI, Waage CW, Sommer C, Sletner L, Raitanen J, Jenum AK. Ethnic differences in gestational weight gain: a population-based cohort study in Norway. Matern Child Health J 2016; 20: 1485-1496.

28. Bø K, Artal R, Barakat R, Brown W, Davies GAL, Dooley M, Evenson KR, Haakstad LAH, Henriksson-Larsen K, Kayser B, Kinnunen TI, Mottola MF, Nygaard I, van Poppel M, Stuge B, Khan KM. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016 evidence summary from the IOC expert group meeting, Lausanne. Part 1 – exercise in women planning pregnancy and those who are pregnant. Br J Sports Med 2016;50:571-589.

29. Bø K, Artal R, Barakat R, Brown W, Dooley M, Evenson KR, Haakstad LAH, Larsen K, Kayser B, Kinnunen TI, Mottola MF, Nygaard I, van Poppel M, Stuge B, Davies GAL, IOC Medical Commission. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016 evidence summary from the IOC expert group meeting, Lausanne. Part 2 – the effect of exercise on the fetus, labour and birth. Br J Sports Med 2016;50:1297-1305.

30. Bastola K, Koponen P, Härkänen T, Gissler M, Kinnunen TI. Pre-pregnancy body mass index and inter-pregnancy weight change among women of Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin and the general Finnish population. Scand J Public Health 2017;45:314-321. 

31. Kinnunen TI, Sletner L, Sommer C, Post MC, Jenum AK. Ethnic differences in folic acid supplement use in a population-based cohort of pregnant women in Norway. BMI Preganancy and Child Birth 2017;17:143.

32. Rogozińska E, Marlin N, Yang F, Dodd JM, Guelfi K, Teede H, Surita F, Jensen DM, Geiker NRW, Astrup A, Yeo S, Kinnunen TI, Stafne SN, Cecatti JG, Bogaerts A, Hauner H, Mol BW, Scudeller TT, Vinter CA, Renault KM, Devlieger R, Thangaratinam S, Khan KS; i-WIP (International Weight Management in Pregnancy) Collaborative Group. Variations in reporting of outcomes in randomised trials on diet and physical activity in pregnancy: a systematic review. J Obstet Gynecol Research 2017;43(7):1101-1110.

33. Rogozińska E, Marlin N, Jackson L, Rayanagoudar G, Ruifrok AE, Dodds J, Molyneaux E, van Poppel MN, Poston L, Vinter CA, McAuliffe F, Dodd JM, Owens J, Barakat R, Perales M, Cecatti JG, Surita F, Yeo S, Bogaerts A, Devlieger R, Teede H, Harrison C, Haakstad L, Shen GX, Shub A, Beltagy NE, Motahari N, Khoury J, Tonstad S, Luoto R, Kinnunen TI, Guelfi K, Facchinetti F, Petrella E, Phelan S, Scudeller TT, Rauh K, Hauner H, Renault K, de Groot CJ, Sagedal LR, Vistad I, Stafne SN, Mørkved S, Salvesen KÅ, Jensen DM, Vitolo M, Astrup A, Geiker NR, Kerry S, Barton P, Roberts T, Riley RD, Coomarasamy A, Mol BW, Khan KS, Thangaratinam S. Effects of antenatal diet and physical activity on maternal and fetal outcomes: individual patient data meta-analysis and health economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess. 2017;21(41):1-158. doi: 10.3310/hta21410.

34. The International Weight Management in Pregnancy (iWIP) Collaborative Group. Effect of diet and physical activity based interventions in pregnancy on gestational weight gain and pregnancy outcomes: meta-analysis of individual participant data from randomised trials. BMJ 2017;358.j3119

35. Bø K, Artal R, Barakat R, Brown W, Davies GAL, Dooley M, Evenson KR, Haakstad LAH, Kayser B, Kinnunen TI, Larsen K, Mottola MF, Nygaard I, van Poppel M, Stuge B, IOC Medical Commission. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016/17 evidence summary from the IOC Expert Group Meeting, Lausanne. Part 3 – exercise in the postpartum period. Br J Sports Med 2017;51:1516-1525.  

36. Bø K, Artal R, Barakat R, Brown W, Davies GAL, Dooley M, Evenson KR, Haakstad LAH, Kayser B, Kinnunen TI, Larsen K, Mottola MF, Nygaard I, van Poppel M, Stuge B, Khan K. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016/17 evidence summary from the IOC Expert Group Meeting, Lausanne. Part 4 – Recommendations for future research. Br J Sports Med 2017; 51:1724-1726.

37. Kinnunen TI, Skogberg N, Härkänen T, Lundqvist A, Laatikainen T, Koponen P. Overweight and abdominal obesity in women of childbearing age of Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin and the general Finnish population. J Public Health 2018;40(2):262-270.

38. Bastola K, Koponen P, Härkänen T, Luoto R, Gissler M, Kinnunen TI. Delivery and its complications among women of Somali, Kurdish, and Russian origin, and women in the general population in Finland. Birth 2019;46:35-41.

39. Bø K, Artal R, Barakat R, Brown WJ, Davies GAL, Dooley M, Evenson KR, Haakstad LAH, Kayser B, Kinnunen TI, Larsen K, Mottola MF, Nygaard I, van Poppel M, Stuge B, Khan KM. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016/2017 evidence summary from the IOC expert group meeting, Lausanne. Part 5. Recommendations for health professionals and active women. Br J Sports Med 2018;52:1080-1085.

40. Jokela S, Lilja E, Kinnunen TI, Gissler M, Castaneda A, Koponen P. Births and induced abortions among women of Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin, and the general population in Finland –comparison of self-reported and register data. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2018;18(1):296.

41. Kinnunen TI, Richardsen KR, Sletner L, Torgersen L, Sommer C, Waage CW, Mdala I, Jenum AK. Ethnic differences in body mass index trajectories from 18 years to postpartum in a population-based cohort of pregnant women in Norway. BMJ Open 2019 Feb 22;9(2):e022640.

42. O'Brien EC, Segurado R, Geraghty AA, Alberdi G, Rogozinska E, Astrup A, Barakat Carballo R, Bogaerts A, Cecatti JG, Coomarasamy A, de Groot CJM, Devlieger R, Dodd JM, El Beltagy N, Facchinetti F, Geiker N, Guelfi K, Haakstad L, Harrison C, Hauner H, Jensen DM, Khan K, Kinnunen TI, Luoto R, Willem Mol B, Mørkved S, Motahari-Tabari N, Owens JA, Perales M, Petrella E, Phelan S, Poston L, Rauh K, Rayanagoudar G, Renault KM, Ruifrok AE, Sagedal L, Salvesen KÅ, Scudeller TT, Shen G, Shub A, Stafne SN, Surita FG, Thangaratinam S, Tonstad S, van Poppel MNM, Vinter C, Vistad I, Yeo S, McAuliffe FM; i-WIP (International Weight Management in Pregnancy) Collaborative Group. Impact of maternal education on response to lifestyle interventions to reduce gestational weight gain: individual participant data meta-analysis. BMJ Open 2019 Aug 1;9(8):e025620.

43. Rogozińska E, Zamora J, Marlin N, Betrán AP, Astrup A, Bogaerts A, Cecatti JG, Dodd JM, Facchinetti F, Geiker NRW, Haakstad LAH, Hauner H, Jensen DM, Kinnunen TI, Mol BWJ, Owens J, Phelan S, Renault KM, Salvesen KÅ, Shub A, Surita FG, Stafne SN, Teede H, van Poppel MNM, Vinter CA, Khan KS, Thangaratinam S; International Weight Management in Pregnancy (i-WIP) Collaborative Group. Gestational weight gain outside the Institute of Medicine recommendations and adverse pregnancy outcomes: analysis using individual participant data from randomised trials. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2019 Sep 2;19(1):322. 

44. Skogberg N, Adam A, Kinnunen T, Lilja E, Castaneda A. Overweight and Obesity among Russian, Somali, and Kurdish Origin Populations in Finland. Finnish Yearbook of Population Research 2019;53,73-88.

45. Bastola K, Koponen P, Gissler M, Kinnunen TI. Differences in caesarean delivery and neonatal outcomes among women of migrant origin in Finland: A population-based study. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 2019 (accepted)

46. Michalek IM, Kinnunen TI, Kjaerheim K, Lynge E, Martinsen JI, Sparen P, Tryggvadottir L, Weiderpass E, Pukkala E. Smoking-adjusted risk of kidney cancer by occupation: a population-based cohort study of Nordic men. Acta Oncologica 2020; May;59(5):582-587. 

47. Shaheen SO, Gissler M, Devereux G, Erkkola M, Kinnunen TI, Mcardle H, Sheikh A, Hemminki E, Nwaru BI. Maternal iron supplementation in pregnancy and asthma in the offspring: follow-up of a randomised trial in Finland. European Respiratory Journal 2020; 55(6);1902335.

48. Bastola K, Koponen P, Härkänen T, Luoto R, Gissler M, Kinnunen TI. Pregnancy complications in women of Russian, Somali, and Kurdish origin and women in the general population in Finland. Women’s Health 2020;16:1-8.

49. Singh A, Okello G, Semple S, Dobbie F, Kinnunen TI, Lartey KF, Logo DD, Bauld L, Ankrah ST, McNeill A, Owusu-Dabo E. Second-Hand Smoke Exposure in Ghana: How effective is the Smoke-Free Legislation in Hospitality Settings? Tobacco Induced Diseases 2020;18:44. 

50. Singh A, Dobbie F, Kinnunen TI, Okello G, Semple S, Okyere PB, Logo DD, Lartey KF, Yirenkyi PA, Britton J, McNeil A, Bauld L, Owusu-Dabo E. Adherence to smoke-free policies in Ghana: Findings from a cross-sectional survey of hospitality venue owners and staff. Tobacco Prevention and Cessation 2021;7(January):4. 

51. Kinnunen TI, Liu Y, Koivisto A-M, Virtanen SM, Luoto R. Effects of dietary counselling on micronutrient intakes in pregnant women in Finland. Maternal and Child Nutrition 2021 Jun 19;e13203. doi: 10.1111/mcn.13203. Online ahead of print.

52. Bastola K, Koponen P, Skogberg N, Gissler M, Kinnunen TI. Gestational diabetes among women of migrant origin in Finland – A population-based study. Eur J Public Health 2021 May 31;ckab078. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckab078. Online ahead of print.

53. Kinnunen TI, Bastola K, Neupane S. Trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age. J Nepal Health Research Council 2021 Sep 6;19(2):252-258. doi: 10.33314/jnhrc.v19i2.3292. PMID: 34601512

54. Bastola K, Koponen P, Skogberg N, Gissler M, Kinnunen TI. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among women of migrant origin in Finland: A population-based study. Acta Obstetrics Gynecology Scandinavica 2022;101(1):127-134.

55. Deshpande S, Kinnunen TI, Kulathinal S. Birth cohort differences in height, weight and BMI among Indian women aged 15-30 years: analyses based on three cross-sectional surveys. Public Health Nutr 2021 Dec 27;1-10. doi: 10.1017/S1368980021005012. Online ahead of print.

56. Char A, Gaudel P, Kulathinal S, Kinnunen TI. Effects of technology-based interventions on dietary intake and anthropometrics among adolescents and adults in South Asia – a systematic review of intervention studies. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice 2022;16:181-196.

57. Singh A, Ross H, Dobbie F, Gallagher A, Kinnunen TI, Logo DD, Boateng OA, Gilmore A, Bauld L, Owusu-Dabo E. Extent of illicit cigarette market from single stick sales in Ghana: findings from a cross-sectional survery. BMJ Open 2023;13:e062476.

58. Gholami Karim Abad A, Kinnunen TI, Maukonen M, Koivisto A-M, Männistö S, Kaartinen NE. Association between legume consumption and the intake of other foods and nutrients in the Finnish adult population. Br J Nutr 2023; Feb20:1-11 (online ahead of print) 

59. Deshpande S, Kinnunen TI, Khadilkar A, Unni J, Khanijo V, Donga N, Kulathinal S. Pre-pregnancy weight, the rate of gestational weight gain, and the risk of early gestational diabetes mellitus among women registered in a tertiary care hospital in India. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2023;23:568. (Published 15 August 2023)

60. Majlander S, Kinnunen TI, Lilja E, Gissler M, Castaneda AE, Lehtoranta L, Koponen P. Potentially traumatic experiences pre-migration and adverse pregnancy and childbirth outcomes among women of Somali- and Kurdish-origin in Finland. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2023;23:589.

61. Similä M, Kivelä J, Flinkman J, Kinnunen TI, Koivusalo S, Meinilä J. Raskausdiabetes ja ravitsemus – teemmekö oikeita asioita? Duodecim 2023;139:1927-1934.