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Food preparation skills and obesity risk in European children aged 6–9 years: a cross-sectional study using WHO COSI 2022–2024’
The cultivation of cooking abilities from a young age is linked to healthier dietary practices that can persist throughout life. This connection is highlighted in the 6th round of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI), which incorporated questions about children’s food preparation skills in its 2021–2023 assessments.
Analyzing data from 19,736 children across eight countries, researchers employed multilevel linear regression models to assess how cooking skills practiced at home and in school influence daily vegetable consumption. The study accounted for students nested within schools and used logistic regression to explore the relationship between these skills and obesity risk. The models were minimally adjusted for school random effects and fully adjusted for child sex and maternal education levels.
The findings revealed that more frequent home food preparation was associated with a slight increase in daily fruit and vegetable intake. Specifically, each incremental increase on the skills scale corresponded to a 0.09-point rise on a 5-point ordinal measure. Interestingly, while an overall association indicated that greater food preparation experience at home was linked to a marginally increased chance of obesity (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.03), the skill of peeling was uniquely associated with a reduced likelihood of obesity (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.82, 0.86).
Additionally, the research noted notable differences in food preparation tasks based on sex. Girls participated more frequently in activities such as washing, mashing, peeling, and chopping, while boys were more likely to engage in weighing and measuring tasks.
In summary, while children with greater exposure to food preparation skills showed a modest increase in fruit and vegetable consumption, most skills were associated with a slight increase in obesity risk, with peeling skills showing a beneficial association instead. The observed differences in skill engagement between genders suggest the need for targeted educational initiatives to develop these skills. Future research should examine whether promoting specific cooking skills can enhance healthy eating patterns and weight management in children. [NPID: Cooking skills, vegetable intake, children, food preparation]
Year: 2026
