Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Highlights
Spoke 05
A core achievement was the development of a national map identifying geographical areas and population groups at higher risk of malnutrition in all its forms, including overweight, obesity and less visible micronutrient deficiencies. The analysis revealed significant territorial, social and economic disparities, with marked differences between urban and rural areas and among socioeconomic groups. High rates of childhood overweight and obesity, among the highest in Europe, were documented alongside forms of undernutrition and nutritional fragility affecting specific adult and older populations.
The research integrated national and international databases with new data collected within the project, covering nutritional status, dietary habits, behavioural patterns and socioeconomic determinants. Adopting a life-course perspective, the work included children and adolescents, pregnant women, adults living in marginal or rural areas and other at-risk groups, framing malnutrition as a cumulative and dynamic process contributing to the development of non-communicable diseases.
A key outcome was the development and sharing of standardised protocols and common assessment tools for evaluating nutritional status, eating behaviours, physical activity and lifestyle factors. The harmonisation of procedures across partners enhanced data comparability, reproducibility and the potential for reliable longitudinal analyses.
On this basis, the OnFoods cohorts were initiated to integrate nutritional, behavioural and socioeconomic data and to address information gaps in existing datasets. These cohorts provide a structured framework for monitoring dietary patterns and risk factors across the life course, supporting predictive analyses and the evaluation of targeted interventions.
In parallel, WP 5.1 established a network of strategic territorial partners, including schools, associations and local communities, strengthening the link between research activities and community-based prevention efforts.
Identification of areas in Italy, based on existing databank, in order to: a) assess the populations at higher risk of over- and under-nutrition b) select the strategic partners to meet and educate the at-risk population (schools, recreative centres, churches, other associations) in connection with Spoke 7.
Analysis of existing data on food consumption, lifestyle and biochemical/genetic parameters in Italian population groups along the lifecycle: elaboration of available datasets providing information on eating and lifestyle habits, accessibility, drivers and barriers towards a healthy diet of defined groups (children, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, older subjects) in connection with Spoke 1.
Development of an ONFOODS cohort (including relevant target groups along the lifecycle) within the geographical area covered by the participant institutions with the aim to systematically assess nutritional status, eating behaviour, physical activity and lifestyle in target populations through the application of shared procedures and questionnaire able to add information lacking from the available datasets and to provide a setting for the validation of possible biomarker (see WP 5.4.) new intervention (in connection with Spoke 4) or educational strategies (in connection with spoke 7).
List of areas with higher incidence of over- and under-nutrition (M6)
Search for existing data available in the databank on food consumption, accessibility, drivers, and barriers towards a healthy diet of defined groups (M12)
