Children and COVID-19 Research Library

The lockdown after the COVID-19 pandemic not only caused public health crises and income stress but also put millions at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition across the globe, especially in low and middle-income countries [LMICs]. This study evaluated the effects of financial stress and household socio-economic deprivation on the nutritional status of 1551 children under the age of five during COVID-19 in Pakistan. A self-administered questionnaire was used between November 2020 and April 2021 to collect information on age, height, children’s weight, and socio-economic status from 1152 rural households from underdeveloped regions in Punjab, Pakistan. With the help of the proportionate simple random sampling method, this study employed a model (binary logistic regression) to calculate the likelihood of malnourishment.

The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of common mental disorders among high school students and their online education satisfaction levels in Pakistan. It was an observational, cross sectional study. The study took place among students registered across various high schools at different cities in Pakistan. The duration of the study was about six months from January 2021 to June 2021. A cross sectional study was conducted across different high schools in Pakistan. For a total of 275 selected study participants, structured and validated questionnaires were used to determine the common mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, and Psychosis.

This study traces short- to long-term adverse effects of the colossal flood 2010 on educational outcomes of children and adolescents (age 5–16 years) in the flooded districts of Pakistan. Taking advantage of the flood — a type of quasi-natural experimental research design it utilized a difference-in-differences (DID) approach with inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs) to estimate the impact of the flood on educational outcomes by using a household surveys’ dataset (six waves). It compared educational outcomes out-of-school or dropout from school of — children and adolescents in the flooded households with the educational outcomes of individuals of same age groups in the non-flooded households before, during and after the flood.

The major interruption is going to occur in children learning at all stages of Education because of worldwide closure of Educational institutions. Such interference in formal schooling experiences adversely affect academic outcomes of school age children. This study was qualitative in nature and phenomenology research design was adopted to investigate, how COVID-19 impacted early childhood care and Education in Pakistan. Sample selected through criterion sampling, a purposive sampling method. This study was based on 17 in-depth semi-structured interviews from teachers and parents of pre-school children.

The covid-19 has disrupted all parts of life especially maternal-child relationship. Many lactating womenwerequarantinedincovid-19whichhasaffectednourishmentoftheirinfant. Breastfeeding has innumerable benets for both mother and infants as it provides them protection. The Maternal-child relationship is drastically affected if an infant is separated from its mother. It greatly affects lactation, which acts as a shield against infectious diseases. It is approved by all the international agencies and government bodies to promote breastfeeding including the neonates of infected mothers. It is suggested to adopt proper hand and respiratory hygiene measures to prevent transmission from mother to infant. Although many studies and literature reviews have conrmed that there are no direct transmission cases related to coronavirus during breastfeeding. However, WHO, UNICEF, and many other organizations suggested to adopt some hygiene-specic guidelines while practicing lactation. These include wearing a mask, washing hands, and disinfecting surfaces. As we are in the middle of this pandemic and new information is being gathered by scientists, it is hoped that they will also support promoting breastfeeding. As its advantages outweigh the risks of COVID-19. The main aim of this review is to promote early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding during COVID-19.

Over the past few decades, new infectious diseases have emerged, and these have played a key role in changing behavior and lifestyle in all age groups. More recently, with the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, governments around the world have made unprecedented efforts to contain the epidemic by implementing quarantine measures, social distancing, and isolating infected individuals. Social behavioral adaptations (e.g., social distancing, isolation, etc.) impact children's and adolescents' lifestyle activities and lead to increased incidence of psychosocial problems, worsening of preexisting mental illness, and fears of infection, uncertainty, isolation, and stress. In light of this, this study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the behaviors and lifestyles of the children and adolescent population of Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 323 children and adolescents by targeting parents of children and adolescents in the age group of 4-18 years living in Pakistan. The study was conducted from April 2021 to September 2021. A well-designed structured questionnaire was used to collect data about the sociodemographic profile, attitudes, and behavioral factors impacted by COVID-19 in children and adolescents. SPSS Statistics version 23 (IBM, Armonk, NY) was used to enter and analyze data.

Skin-to-skin contact is often termed as “Kangaroo Care”. It is a method of holding a baby skin-to-skin or chest-to-chest with a parent, typically mothers. This nursing intervention helps in establishing a strong bond between a parent and a child, provides adjustment to extra-uterine life, and contributes to the holistic growth and development of the child. Moreover, Kangaroo Care is a key intervention to support the development and nurturing of preterm infants. The study aims to identify the perceptions of healthcare providers pertaining to predisposition factors and the perceived benefits of skin-to-skin contact in times of COVID-19. A cross-sectional study design was implemented in the study. The data collected from the participants attended the workshop on skin-to-skin from a wide range of health care settings (primary, secondary, and tertiary care hospitals) from Karachi, Pakistan.

Vaccination is a vital component in the battle against outbreaks of infectious diseases. Recognizing parents’ reluctance to vaccinate their children is even more critical now, given the ongoing threat of a COVID-19 pandemic. Conspiracy theories, vaccination safety concerns, parental efficacy and risk perception, and a lack of confidence in science all influence intention. To investigate how these variables interact with vaccination behavior against COVID-19,  a model was developed, with psychosocial factors serving as the predictor and mistrust in science and vaccine knowledge serving as the mediator. In order to validate the model, the parents’ intentions regarding their children’s vaccination with COVID-19 were used. The study included 454 Pakistani parents who completed an online questionnaire assessing their intention to vaccinate their children.

COVID-19 pandemic globally challenged the healthcare sector as well as posed a serious threat to mental health among both young and adults rendering people with a sense of uncertainty and loss. This study aims to assess the psychological burden among the adolescent population during the pandemic and lockdown. A cross sectional study was moderated by the research team at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center between April 2020 to October 2021. All individuals between the ages of 13 to 17 years were included. The proforma was circulated among residents of the province of Sindh that assessed the emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity-inattention, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behaviors among participants.

Global health authorities have emphasized the vital role of healthcare professionals (HCPs) as a reliable source of vaccination information for patients in primary care. However, HCPs are concerned whether COVID-19 vaccinations can be used off-label. Hence, the current study was conducted to assess their perspectives towards off-label COVID-19 immunization in children. The study tool, consisting of 40 items, was utilized to evaluate HCPs’ knowledge and attitudes towards the off-label use of the COVID-19 vaccine in children under 12 years of age. To assess the unfavorable attitudes regarding vaccinations, the Vaccination Attitudes Examination Scale was employed. Overall, 477 completed questionnaires were incorporated in the present study, with a response rate of 88.9%.

WHO  recognized COVID-19 a pandemic on March 12, 2020 and National Health Commission officially declared it as a Class-B infectious disease. The technological advancements enabled the teaching staffs to keep their students involved during this period of COVID-19 pandemic. Online classes become the efficient medium to learn by staying at home. To find out the challenges faced by mothers during online learning in order to devise a systematic plan for smooth and effective learning in case of another crises like COVID-19. It was a cross sectional study carried out at CMH LMC&IOD ,  in which a user-defined questionnaire was introduced to the participants which were mothers of school going children from all over the city. The questionnaire got 161 responses in total, but two were incomplete so 159 were considered while doing the analysis. The results were analyzed using SPSS25.

Eight high-school students participated in this qualitative study to investigate the adolescents’ stress, anxiety, and family communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. To collect data, a list of questions was prepared by the researchers based on experts’ opinions, and open-ended interviews were carried out with the participants. Consequently, four models were created and thoroughly investigated.

 This study aimed to determine the impact of an educational intervention on secondary school students' Covid-19 awareness
and risk perception, as well as their preventive practices. A quasi-experimental study conducted in private secondary schools.
Methodology: The study duration was two months. Students who gave consent and didn’t have COVID-19 infection in
past were included by non-probability purposive sampling. Raosoft sample size calculator was used to calculate the sample
size and it came out to be 385 but a total of 380 students could be enrolled.

The closure of schools because of the physical restrictions applied by the government has only amplified the hardships on children, parents, and teachers alike. Thus, this study aimed to assess parents’ perception of the impact of COVID on their young children. A cross-sectional survey was taken from the parents(n=128) parents of children ages 3-8 years, using a self-reported questionnaire. A tailored-made questionnaire google link was sent to the parents registered for the webinar.  The link had all the details pertinent to the ethical considerations for the use of data. SPSS was used andp˂0.05 was considered statistically significant.