STUDY | One in five 7-year-old children in the Republic of Moldova is overweight
According to the results of the sixth round of the national childhood obesity surveillance study, conducted within the framework of the European COSI Initiative, one in five first-grade children in the Republic of Moldova is overweight. Data collected in 2022–2023 shows that 20.7% of 7-year-old children are overweight, with 8.8% classified as obese and 6.5% as underweight. While this situation is slightly better than the European average during the same period—where 25% of children are overweight and 10% are obese—it does show an increase compared to a similar study conducted in Moldova in 2016.
Overweight is more common among boys, with 21.4% being classified as overweight and 9.9% as obese. In comparison, 20% of girls are overweight, with 7.5% considered obese. The study reveals noteworthy differences between urban and rural areas: in cities, 23.7% of children are overweight and 8.2% are obese, whereas in rural areas these figures drop to 16% and 4.8%, respectively. Additionally, children of parents with a low level of education tend to be more prone to obesity.
A concerning aspect is the inaccurate perception parents have regarding their children's weight. Over 70% of overweight children are perceived by their parents as having a normal weight, and only 2% are accurately identified as obese. This misperception delays early interventions and increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases.
The study also examines children's eating habits. Daily fruit consumption is reported by 47.3% of students, while 36.6% consume vegetables daily. However, just 3.5% of children meet the World Health Organization's recommendation of five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Furthermore, 20.4% of children consume sweet snacks every day, and 11.7% drink sweetened carbonated beverages.
Regarding physical activity, boys engage in sports or dance for an average of 2.2 hours each week, while girls average 1.9 hours. Most children participate in moderate to intense physical activity daily for about 2.4 hours. However, nearly half of them spend at least 2 hours a day on screens. More than half of the students walk or bike to school, but parents rate the safety of these routes as only moderate.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted children’s habits: fruit consumption rose by 11.4%, vegetable consumption by 9.4%, while salty snacks decreased by 16%, sweets by 9.1%, and sweetened beverages by 15.5%. During this time, both physical activity and sedentary behaviours increased.
In response to these findings, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Research have approved a joint order to ensure the nutritional health of children in general education institutions. This order mandates balanced menus and aims to reduce dietary risk factors, such as excessive consumption of salt, sugar, and fat.
The Republic of Moldova has aligned itself with the World Health Organization's recommendations and set a goal of achieving zero obesity rates by 2030. This objective is part of the National Program for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases for 2023–2027.
The COSI study in the Republic of Moldova included about 3,600 first-grade students from 90 schools across the country. The data were collected and analyzed by national and international experts, with financial support from the European Union.
