IDEFICS study

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The IDEFICS study is the largest European study investigating obesity in children between the ages of two and ten years. The acronym IDEFICS stands for " I dentification and prevention of D ietary- and lifestyle-induced health EF fects I n Children and infant S " (Eng .: identification and prevention of diet and lifestyle-related health factors in children and infants). At the 23 research institutes and companies from eleven European countries are participating in the international study. The IDEFICS study is coordinated and directed by the Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine at the University of Bremen. The study began in September 2006. It will run for five years. The European Commission financed the large-scale study as part of the sixth research framework program with a total of 13 million euros.

Background of the study

Various studies show that every fifth child in Europe is now overweight. In Germany, every eighth child is already overweight when they start school. The rising trend is largely due to poor diet and insufficient exercise. The numbers appear particularly problematic when one considers the health consequences. Many of those affected suffer from secondary diseases such as B. diabetes , high blood pressure , fatty liver , osteoporosis and joint diseases. In addition, the psychosocial consequences should not be neglected. Since many studies have shown that overweight and obese children are also overweight or obese in adulthood , IDEFICS focuses on children between the ages of two and ten years. The study therefore focuses on researching effective methods of prevention . Due to the international orientation of the study, cultural differences should also be taken into account for the first time in addition to age, gender and social factors.

Study design and implementation

Internationally, 16,200 children took part in the study. For Germany, more than 2000 children in Delmenhorst and Wilhelmshaven were included in the study. At the beginning, all children were medically examined. Data such as age, gender, height, weight and body fat percentage were recorded. In addition, random blood and urine samples were taken in order to carry out in-depth analyzes. In a third step, the children and their parents were interviewed to record everyday behavior and lifestyle of the children. The focus of the survey is on leisure time behavior, knowledge of healthy eating , the frequency of television consumption and computer games. After the baseline survey, which began in September 2007, an intervention program was carried out in eight European countries for around half of those involved. The focus was on healthy eating, physical activity and reducing stress. Towards the end of the study, both groups underwent the same examination as at the beginning of the study. This showed which measures have long-term positive effects on the health of the children.

Literature and publications

  • K. Bammann and others: IDEFICS: a European multicenter project on diet and lifestyle-related diseases in childhood. In: Medical Clinic. Volume 102, No. 3, 2006, pp. 230-235.
  • W. Ahrens et al .: Understanding and preventing childhood obesity and related disorders-IDEFICS: a European multilevel epidemiological approach. In: Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases. Volume 16, No. 4, 2006, pp. 302-308.
  • K. Bammann et al .: Assessment of diet, physical activity and biological, social and environmental factors in a multi-center European project on diet- and lifestyle-related disorders in children (IDEFICS). In: Public Health. Volume 14, No. 5, 2006, pp. 279-289.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Key data and contacts of the study ( Memento from December 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 113 kB).

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