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Health Ministry study: Romanian children have normal weights
Romanian children have normal weights, with the prevalence of overweight being slightly higher in girls than in boys and significantly higher in urban areas than in the countryside. These are the conclusions of a study conducted by the Health Ministry via the National Public Health Institute under the European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) project coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
'Child obesity is an important healthcare issue and its prevalence is surging in the whole world, with an alarming tendency in Europe. The consequences of overweight during childhood include cardiovascular diseases, type-II diabetes, orthopaedic conditions and mental health conditions, as well as poor school results and decreased self-esteem. Obesity prevalence tripled in 2010 from 1980 (WHO). That is why Romania has voiced readiness to join the WHO project,' Romania's Health Minister Nicolae Banicioiu says in a press release.
Data for 8-year-olds were collected in May 2013, during a three-week period, in accordance with the methodology and schedule proposed by the WHO.
5% of the Romanian children included in the study aged 8 years are underweight and 1% are severely underweight.
Nearly a quarter of the study subjects are overweight or obese. Overweight prevalence (obesity included) in Romanian children aged 8 years is standing at 26.75%, while obesity prevalence is 11.6%. Europewide, overweight prevalence in children aged 8 years, according to the findings of the first round of the COSI study varied between 19.3% and 49% in boys and 18.4% - 42.5% in girls. Underweight prevalence (including the severe form) in the participating countries in the first round of the project is generally below 2.5%. Higher values were reported in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic (3.2%).
As far as the breakdown of nationwide nutrition by gender is concerned, nearly 5% of the girls and a similar percentage of boys are underweight and nearly 1% are severely underweight. The percentage of girls with normal weights is 71.1% is 5.9% higher than the percentage of boys with normal weights (65.2%).
Overweight and obesity prevalence in boys (29.8%) is 6.1% higher than the similar prevalence in girls (23.7%). Obesity prevalence in Romania's 8-year-old boys (15.03%) is 6.79 % higher than the same prevalence in girls of the same age (8.24%).
According to the report of the first round of the COSI study, the prevalence of excessive weight in Europe (obesity included) in 8-year-olds varied between 22.1% (Belgium) and 49% (Italy) in boys, while in girls it was between 22.7% (Belgium) and 42.5% (Italy). Obesity prevalence varies between 7.5% in Norway and 26.6% in Italy in boys, and between 6% in Norway and 17.3% in Italy in girls.
Severe underweight prevalence does not differ significantly by urbanisation. Underweight prevalence is higher in the countryside (6.1%) than in the urban areas (4.2%) and semi urban areas (3.8%). Most of the children covered by the study have normal weights, irrespective of their residence area (urban - 64.2%, semi-urban - 71.2%, rural - 72.2%).
By residence area, overweight and obesity prevalence nationwide is 31.6% in the urban area and 21.7% in the countryside. The highest obesity prevalence in Romania's eight-year-olds was reported in the urban area (13.15%), followed by the rural area (10.18%) and semi-urban area (9.85%).
The measurements involved a representative sample of 207 schools from the rural and urban areas selected by simple randomising using the totality of primary schools in the country that have at least 40 students enrolled (4,589 schools).
Children were classified according to WHO standards (underweight, normal weight and overweight, including obese) and the data will be included in WHO European database on Nutrition, Obesity and Physical Activity.