Preliminary results of the FoodCLIC survey in the Brașov City Region

As part of FOODCLIC, the Brașov Living Lab conducted a baseline survey to assess health, nutrition and food security among vulnerable populations in the Brașov city region. The sample included 300 participants, approximately 80% of whom belonged to socio-economically vulnerable groups, including institutionalised older adults, homeless individuals, schoolchildren from underserved neighbourhoods and low-income university students. The survey achieved a balanced gender distribution (52% female).

Self-Perceived Health and Lifestyle

While 95% of participants reported consuming three meals per day, the results indicate that dietary quality may be suboptimal. There is widespread reliance on inexpensive, calorie-dense foods, with 61% of participants snacking frequently and 38.3% preferring fried foods. Physical activity is irregular, and only a minority maintain daily health-promoting habits. Despite these behaviours, most respondents rated their health as “satisfactory,” suggesting a disconnect between perceived and actual well-being, largely due to limited health and nutrition awareness.

Food Insecurity

The data show moderate food insecurity across the surveyed population. Although severe hunger was rare, many respondents reported skipping meals or lacking access to diverse, high-quality foods-particularly fruits, vegetables and fish. Economic constraints were a leading cause: nearly half of respondents earned under 400 EUR/month. Vulnerable groups such as the elderly and homeless often depended on institutional meals or charitable food assistance. Consumption “on the run” was low (5.7%), but irregular eating patterns were common.

Dietary Diversity

The survey highlighted poor dietary diversity. Less than 5% of participants prefer to consume food in its raw state, which may also reflect limited food diversity. Most meals appear to be prepared at home, but their nutritional quality may be undermined by cooking methods, such as frying, and limited nutritional knowledge. The findings suggest that affordability constraints (perhaps cost or seasonality), together with established dietary habits, contribute to limited dietary diversity and may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes over time. These preliminary findings will support the co-design of Living Lab interventions aimed at improving access to healthy, sustainable and affordable food within the Brașov City Region. The full analysis will be completed following the integration of second batch of survey data.

This blog post was written by Liviu Gaceu from Transilvania University of Brasov

Publishing date: 14 July 2026