Investigating the determinants of food choice, lifestyle and health in European children, adolescents and their parents. Building on data gained from over 10,000 children in the IDEFICS study, the EC funded project I.Family provided further insight into the most important influences on Europe’s young people, their lifestyle behaviour and their eating habits.

The project aims to find out what happened in childcare centers in Germany during the coronavirus pandemic and what challenges were faced. To this end, parents, educators and day care center managers were surveyed in various formats over the period from August 2020 to June 2022 to find out how frequently infections occurred in day care centers, how they spread and how people protected themselves. In addition, individual chains of infection in certain facilities were traced in detail. This showed that day care centers were not drivers of the pandemic.

Participants with SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 infection were surveyed regarding pre-existing conditions and symptoms at the time of infection and approximately 3 months after infection. The aim of the study was to identify risk factors for a severe course of the disease. The study results indicate that even mild symptoms such as fatigue, respiratory difficulties, cognitive problems, or headaches and body aches at the time of infection are associated with an increased likelihood of developing Post-COVID or Long-COVID.

This project studied how couples can support each other to become more physically active by making plans together. It found that when partners work as a team, they might be more successful in staying active, but the effects were not very strong. The research suggests that joint planning could be a helpful way to encourage daily exercise in couples.

The COPSY study is a long-term research project that looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of children and teenagers in Germany. Another goal of the study is to find out what helps protect their mental health during this crisis. Based on the findings, the study will offer recommendations and strategies to support children's and teens' mental health during the pandemic.

This study looks at how COVID-19 lockdowns affected people's mental and physical health in 14 different countries. Researchers asked people about their well-being and exercise habits during the first wave of the pandemic. They used a simple questionnaire to measure how much time people spent doing moderate and intense exercise, both before and during lockdowns. The results suggest that lockdowns may have had a big negative impact on people's overall health.

In Germany, 5 to 20% of children suffer from early childhood caries (ECC), which can lead to serious issues like damaged permanent teeth, jaw problems, and social exclusion. This study aims to explore how people perceive children with visible signs of ECC or dental treatment (like crowns or gaps) compared to those with healthy teeth. Using eye-tracking technology, the research investigates whether people focus differently on their faces and if they judge them more negatively. The study also examines whether medical experts and everyday people view these children differently.

The project PACO examined, how families with school aged children adapt to measures enforced to slow down the spread of the Corona virus. The core focus of this project was on parents’ daily experiences from late March until late April 2020.