Abstract
In 2015–2017, the fourth round of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) was conducted in 36 countries. National representative samples of children aged 6–9 (203,323) were measured by trained staff, with similar equipment and using a standardized protocol. This paper assesses the children's body weight status and compares the burden of childhood overweight, obesity, and thinness in Northern, Eastern, and Southern Europe and Central Asia. The results show great geographic variability in height, weight, and body mass index. On average, the children of Northern Europe were the tallest, those of Southern Europe the heaviest, and the children living in Central Asia the lightest and the shortest. Overall, 28.7% of boys and 26.5% of girls were overweight (including obesity) and 2.5% and 1.9%, respectively, were thin according to the WHO definitions. The prevalence of obesity varied from 1.8% of boys and 1.1% of girls in Tajikistan to 21.5% and 19.2%, respectively, in Cyprus, and tended to be higher for boys than for girls. Levels of thinness, stunting, and underweight were relatively low, except in Eastern Europe (for thinness) and in Central Asia. Despite the efforts to halt it, unhealthy weight status is still an important problem in the WHO European Region.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e13214 |
Journal | Obesity Reviews |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | S6 |
Early online date | 7 Jul 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 30 Nov 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors gratefully acknowledge support from a grant from the Russian Government in the context of the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of NCDs. Data collection in the countries was made possible through funding from the following: Albania: WHO through the Joint Programme on Children, Food Security and Nutrition “Reducing Malnutrition in Children,” funded by the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund, and the Institute of Public Health; Austria: Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, Republic of Austria; Bulgaria: Ministry of Health, National Center of Public Health and Analyses, WHO Regional Office for Europe; Croatia: Ministry of Health, Croatian Institute of Public Health and WHO Regional Office for Europe; Czechia: Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, grants AZV MZČR 17‐31670 A and MZČR – RVO EÚ 00023761; Cyprus: not available; Denmark: Danish Ministry of Health; Estonia: Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Education and Research (IUT 42‐2), WHO Country Office, and National Institute for Health Development; Finland: Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare; France: Santé publique France, the French Agency for Public Health; Georgia: WHO; Greece: International Hellenic University and Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity; Hungary: WHO Country Office for Hungary; Ireland: Health Service Executive; Italy: Ministry of Health and Italian National Institute of Health; Kazakhstan: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan and WHO Country Office; Kyrgyzstan: World Health Organization; Latvia: Ministry of Health, Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; Lithuania: Science Foundation of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Lithuanian Science Council and WHO; Malta: Ministry of Health; Montenegro: WHO and Institute of Public Health of Montenegro; North Macedonia: funded by the Government of North Macedonia through National Annual Program of Public Health and implemented by the Institute of Public Health and Centers of Public Health in the country. WHO country office provided support for training and data management; Norway: Ministry of Health and Norwegian Institute of Public Health; Poland: National Health Programme, Ministry of Health; Portugal: Ministry of Health Institutions, the National Institute of Health, Directorate General of Health, Regional Health Directorates and the kind technical support from the Center for Studies and Research on Social Dynamics and Health (CEIDSS); Romania: Ministry of Health; Russian Federation: WHO; San Marino: Health Ministry, Educational Ministry, Social Security Institute and Health Authority; Serbia: World Health Organization (Ref. File 2015‐540940); Slovakia: Biennial Collaborative Agreement between WHO Regional Office for Europe and Ministry of Health SR; Slovenia: Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia within the SLOfit surveillance system; Spain: Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN); Sweden: Public Health Agency of Sweden; Tajikistan: WHO Country Office in Tajikistan and Ministry of Health and Social Protection; Turkmenistan: WHO Country Office in Turkmenistan and Ministry of Health; Turkey: Turkish Ministry of Health and World Bank.
Keywords
- malnutrition
- obesity
- prevention
- thinness
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health