New data from World Health Organization shows how Covid pandemic affected children's health and habits in Europe and Central Asia

The Covid-19 pandemic with its lockdowns and emergency policies has changed our diets, physical activity patterns, screen time and many other daily habits tightly connected to health.

Data conveyed through a new WHO/Europe factsheet demonstrates both positive and negative effects of the pandemic in 13 of the 53 countries of the WHO European Region – with a special focus on school-aged children.

Fact one: increased frequency of home cooking

Approximately 30% of families began to cook more homemade meals during the pandemic, enabling them to have greater control over ingredients.

Home-cooked food usually contains less trans fats, sugars and salt compared to “ready-to-eat” supermarket food or meals ordered from delivery services.

So, cooking at home is usually a great way to reduce risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) linked to nutrition, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Fact two: increased consumption of sweets

One in five parents reported that their children began consuming more sweets during the pandemic, such as candies, cakes, ice cream, and pastries.

Increased sugar intake is linked with an increased risk of obesity – a condition that has reached epidemic proportions in the WHO European Region.

Today, one in three children in the region lives with obesity, which puts them at risk of developing NCDs later in life.

Fact three: decreased levels of active play for children

The restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic greatly reduced opportunities for children to engage in physical activity and outdoor play.

Around 30% of children in the region analysed became less physically active during this period, missing out on the health benefits of activities such as cycling, playing soccer, or running in the park.

Fact four: screen time levels increased

In addition, during the lockdown period, around 35% of children spent more time watching television, playing video games, or using social media, increasing the time they spent on sedentary habits, increasing their risk of becoming obese, and increasing their exposure to marketing of unhealthy products via digital media.

The factsheet also shows the negative impact that Covid has had on the psychosocial wellbeing of children, which has the potential to further impact children’s lifestyle and behaviours.

How to mitigate negative impacts of Covid on psychosocial wellbeing of children

“The lessons we’ve learned from the pandemic underscore the importance of implementing effective policies to improve food environments, encourage physical activity, and protect the health and wellbeing of families,” said Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, WHO/Europe regional adviser on nutrition, physical activity and obesity.

"By capitalizing on these lessons, we can strive to create a healthier future for children and young persons – indeed for all of us - as we emerge from the pandemic.

"This is particularly important for protecting the health of groups from lower socioeconomic groups, who were hit hardest by the negative effects of the pandemic.”

Dr Ledia Lazeri, WHO/Europe regional adviser for mental health added: “Policy considerations to mitigate the negative impacts that Covid-19 had on the psychosocial wellbeing of children include delivery of universal mental health promotion and prevention activities for school-aged children, expanding access to family and parenting support initiatives, and identifying opportunities for provision of accessible psychosocial support within community and primary health care settings.”