Logo UNICEF Innocenti
Office of Research-Innocenti
menu icon

Children and COVID-19 Research Library

UNICEF Innocenti's curated library of COVID-19 + Children research

RESULTS:   864     SORT BY:

ADVANCED SEARCH:

Select one or more filter options and click search below.

PUBLICATION DATE:
UNICEF Innocenti Publication
UNICEF Publication
Open Access
JOURNAL ACCESS FOR UNICEF STAFF CONTACT US
151 - 165 of 864
Changes in high-risk sexual behavior, HIV and other STI testing, and PrEP use during the COVID-19 pandemic in a longitudinal cohort of adolescent men who have sex with men 13 to 18 years old in the United States

AUTHOR(S)
Chenglin Hong; David Huh; Rebecca Schnall (et al.)

Published: September 2022   Journal: AIDS and Behavior
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted sexual health services among those most vulnerable to HIV acquisition, such as adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM). This study sought to characterize the changes in sexual-risk behaviors, HIV and other STI testing, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among a longitudinal cohort of AMSM aged 13 to 18 years before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It observed a significant decline in HIV testing and a marginal decrease in other STI testing since the pandemic began in March 2020. Outreach efforts and innovative remote delivery of sexual health services are needed to support access to healthcare services among AMSM as the pandemic persists.
Parental perceptions of service access for transition-aged youth with autism during COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Meghan M. Burke; W. Catherine Cheung; Chak Li (et al.)

Published: September 2022   Journal: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Services are critical for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially during the transition to adulthood. Under the best of circumstances, though, it can be difficult to access needed adult services. With COVID-19, services were more difficult to obtain and retain. In this study, we explored parent perceptions of accessing new services and maintaining current services during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Structured interviews were conducted with 65 parents of transition-aged youth (aged 16–26) with ASD living in three states (IL, TN, and WI) in the United States. None of the participants reported receiving new services during the pandemic, and many struggled to access services via online applications. In addition, participants reported that service suspensions and changes in modality (e.g., from in-person to telehealth) were spearheaded by professionals and not families. Participants, especially those in TN, were more likely to pay out-of-pocket for services during the COVID-19 pandemic to compensate for service disruptions. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Guidance for states on measuring equitable allocation of COVID relief funds and progress toward child care stabilization

AUTHOR(S)
Patti Banghart; Carlise King; Sarah Daily

Published: September 2022   Journal: Child Trends
The COVID-19 pandemic caused major hardships for child care providers and families with young children, leading an already fragile early care and education (ECE) system to the brink of collapse. Approximately two thirds of child care providers were closed in April 2020, and one third remained closed as of April 2021i due to financial instability from temporary closures and/or lower enrollment.ii This meant that the underpaid child care workforce—which disproportionately includes Black and Hispanic women, and other1 women of color and immigrant womeniii—was one of the hardest-hit industries during the pandemic. As of June 2022, child care employment nationwide remains down nearly 10 percent compared with February 2020.
Comparing COVID-19 vaccination outcomes with parental values, beliefs, attitudes, and hesitancy status, 2021–2022

AUTHOR(S)
Tuhina Srivastava; Angela K. Shen; Safa Browne (et al.)

Published: September 2022   Journal: Vaccines
Despite the availability of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine acceptance has been low, particularly among parents. More information is needed on parental decision-making. A prospective cohort study was conducted from October 2021 to March 2022 among 334 parents in a large urban/suburban pediatric primary care network and linked longitudinal survey responses about attitudes and beliefs on vaccination, social norms, and access to vaccination services for COVID-19 to electronic health-record-derived vaccination outcomes for their eldest age-eligible children in June 2022. The odds of accepting two doses of COVID-19 vaccine for their child was higher in respondents who indicated the COVID-19 vaccine would be very safe (aOR [CI]: 2.69 [1.47–4.99], p = 0.001), as well as those who previously vaccinated their child against influenza (aOR [CI]: 4.07 [2.08–8.12], p < 0.001). The odds of vaccinating their child were lower for respondents who attended suburban vs. urban practices (aOR [CI]: 0.38 [0.21–0.67], p = 0.001). Parents in the cohort were active users of social media; the majority (78%) used their phone to check social media platforms at least once per day.
Cite this research | Open access | Vol.: 10 | Issue: 10 | No. of pages: 14 | Language: English | Topics: Health | Tags: child health, COVID-19, immunization, immunization programmes, pandemic, parents, vaccination, vaccination policies | Countries: United States
Impacts of the early COVID-19 pandemic among a national sample of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors in the United States

AUTHOR(S)
Andrea C. Betts; L. Aubree Shay; Marlyn Allicock (et al.)

Published: September 2022   Journal: Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology

Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYAs) experience early-onset chronic conditions and disrupted psychosocial development. This study reports prevalence of disruptions in care delivery and social support during the early wave of the pandemic in a national sample of AYAs in the United States. It used data from the population-based National Health Interview Survey (NHIS; July–December 2020), which allows for nationally representative estimates, and included questions related to COVID-19. It identified 61 AYAs diagnosed with cancer between ages 15 and 39 years and not currently receiving cancer treatment and 244 age- and sex-matched controls. It compared the proportion of AYAs and controls reporting delayed care due to the pandemic, not getting needed care due to the pandemic, and changes in social and emotional support.

Youth lens: youth perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on well-being in an urban community

AUTHOR(S)
Elizabeth Benninger; Megan Schmidt‑Sane; Ashley Hajski

Published: September 2022   Journal: International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy and Practice
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly altered the lives of children and youth throughout the world, with significant implications for their long-term health and well-being. Children were largely excluded from the development and implementation of the various pandemic mitigation strategies and policies, yet their lives were significantly affected. This study sought to shed light on children’s perspectives and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the various ways it impacted their health and well-being, along with the resources which allowed them to continue to flourish in the face of extreme hardship. It presents a subset of findings regarding the COVID-19 pandemic from the Youth Lens study, with 65 youth (aged 10–18) from urban communities in Cleveland, OH, USA. It utilized a participatory methodology with youth, including the data collection techniques of photo voice, community mapping, group discussion, individual interviews, and journaling. This study highlights important and timely findings related to children’s well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic from the youth’s perspectives and underscores potential ways to address their challenges and concerns
Child mental health and sleep disturbances during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

AUTHOR(S)
Lauren Dayton; Xiangrong Kong; Terrinieka W. Powell (et al.)

Published: September 2022   Journal: Family & Community Health
Many children have experienced unprecedented levels of stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic due to school closures, strained resources, and excess morbidity and mortality. The current study examines change in children's mental health and sleep during the early months of the US pandemic and identifies risk and protective factors. In May 2020, a total of 225 parents reported on the mental health and sleep of each child (N = 392 children) living in their household prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and about their functioning in the past month. McNemar's test examined change in mental health and sleep disturbance across developmental stage. Bivariate and multivariate generalized estimating equations examined predictors of change in mental health and sleep.
US shelter in place policies and child abuse Google search volume during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Corinne A. Riddell; Kriszta Farkas; Krista Neumann (et al.)

Published: September 2022   Journal: Preventive Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unemployment, school closures, movement restrictions, and social isolation, all of which are child abuse risk factors. This study aimed to estimate the effect of COVID-19 shelter in place (SIP) policies on child abuse as captured by Google searches. It applied a differences-in-differences design to estimate the effect of SIP on child abuse search volume. It linked state-level SIP policies to outcome data from the Google Health Trends Application Programming Interface.


Young children's traumatic stress reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic: the long reach of mothers' adverse childhood experiences

AUTHOR(S)
Melissa J. Hagan; Danielle R. Roubinov; Alana Cordeiro (et al.)

Published: September 2022   Journal: Journal of Affective Disorders

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted parental and child mental health; however, it is critical to examine this impact in the context of parental histories of adversity. this study hypothesized that maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and pandemic-related negative life events would predict child traumatic stress symptoms (TSS) and tested potential mediating pathways through maternal pandemic-related TSS and/or poorer maternal sensitivity during the pandemic. Data were collected from a longitudinal sample of low-income, racially/ethnically diverse mothers and their children. Between May and November 2020, mothers (n = 111) of young children (M age = 7.42 years, SD = 0.45) completed questionnaires to assess their own and their child's pandemic-related TSS, exposure to pandemic-related negative events, and parent-child relationship quality. Maternal ACEs, maternal depression, parent-child relationship quality, and child internalizing symptoms had been assessed approximately 1–3 years prior.

Location matters: Regional variation in association of community burden of COVID-19 with caregiver and youth worry

AUTHOR(S)
Andrew T. Marshall; Daniel A. Hackman; Eric Kan (et al.)

Published: September 2022   Journal: Health & Place
This study characterized associations between three indicators of COVID-19's community-level impact in 20 geographically diverse metropolitan regions and how worried youth and their caregivers in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development℠ Study have been about COVID-19. County-level COVID-19 case/death rates and monthly unemployment rates were geocoded to participants’ addresses. Caregivers’ (vs. youths’) COVID-19-related worry was more strongly associated with COVID-19's community impact, independent of sociodemographics and pre-pandemic anxiety levels, with these associations varying by location. Public-health agencies and healthcare providers should avoid adopting uniform “one-size-fits-all” approaches to addressing COVID-19-related emotional distress and must consider specific communities’ needs, challenges, and strengths.
Racial/ethnic disparities in infant sleep in the COVID-19 mother-baby outcomes (COMBO) study

AUTHOR(S)
Maristella Lucchini; Monica R. Ordway; Margaret H. Kyle (et al.)

Published: August 2022   Journal: Sleep Health

This study aims to investigate racial and ethnic differences in infant sleep and to examine associations with insurance status and parent-infant bedtime behavioral factors (PIBBF). Participants are part of the COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes (COMBO) Initiative, Columbia University. Data on infant sleep (night, day and overall sleep duration, night awakenings, latency, infant's sleep as a problem) were collected at 4 months postpartum. Regressions estimated associations between race/ethnicity, insurance status, PIBBF and infants’ sleep.

Distance learning in early childhood during the COVID-19 crisis: family and educators' experiences

AUTHOR(S)
Raquel Plotka; Ruth Guirguis

Published: August 2022   Journal: Early Childhood Education Journal
The COVID-19 crisis presented teachers and families with the challenge of educating young children online. This study explored the experiences with virtual education of 51 parents and 53 teachers of young children.
Student and school characteristics associated with COVID-19-related learning decline among middle and high school students in K-12 schools

AUTHOR(S)
Holly H. Fisher; Georgianne T. Hawkins; Marci Hertz (et al.)

Published: August 2022   Journal: Journal of School Health

COVID-19-disrupted schools, including shifts to virtual learning which may have impacted academic progress. This study assessed characteristics associated with changes in academic grades (before and during the pandemic) for different learning modalities for US students ages 13-19. Students (N = 2152) completed a web survey on school-related experiences during the 2020-2021 school year. County social vulnerability and SARS-CoV-2 transmission data were merged with survey data. Multivariable logistic regression analysis for grade change was conducted with student and school characteristics for each learning modality, controlling for community characteristics.

Cultivating compassion for self and others: a school-based pilot study for peer-nominated caring adolescents

AUTHOR(S)
Blake A. Colaianne; Brooke D. Lavelle; Meg L. Small (et al.)

Published: August 2022   Journal: Journal of Research on Adolescence
Many have called for school-based student programs that teach skills related to self-care and caring for others. Here, such a program for peer-nominated adolescents was developed and piloted virtually at one high school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of a longitudinal, quasi-experimental evaluation of the program showed high-quality program implementation and promising program impacts. Effect sizes indicated moderate to large program impacts on improvements in adolescents' self-compassion, sense of interdependence, and perspective-taking, and female adolescents' interoceptive awareness, compared to controls. No group differences in compassion for others were found. The need for more research on programs that help adolescents balance compassion for the self and for others is discussed.
Binge-eating behaviors in adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Melissa Freizinger; Grace B. Jhe; Suzanne E. Dahlberg (et al.)

Published: August 2022   Journal: Journal of Eating Disorders

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent public health measures have resulted in a worsening of eating disorder symptoms and an increase in psychological distress. The present study examined symptoms and behaviors in adolescents and young adults with emotional eating, bingeing behaviors and binge eating disorder during the pandemic. Additionally, the study explored if individuals who experienced pandemic-related food availability and food affordability issues experienced increased binge-eating symptoms and negative feelings. Participants (n = 39) were a convenience sample who participated between November 2020 and January 2021 in a weight and lifestyle management program at an urban New England pediatric hospital. Participants completed online surveys that assessed (1) participant’s exposure to COVID-19 related stress and binge-eating behaviors using the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Survey-Adolescent and Young Adult Version (CEFIS-AYA) and the Binge Eating Scale (BES) respectively, (2) participants’ and their families’ ability to attain and afford food and its association with bingeing behaviors, and (3) the relationship between food availability and affordability and negative emotions.

151 - 165 of 864

UNICEF Innocenti's Children and COVID-19 Library is a database collecting research from around the world on COVID-19 and its impacts on children and adolescents.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DATABASE

Subscribe to updates on new research about COVID-19 & children

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Share:

facebook twitter linkedin google+ reddit print email
Article Article

Check our quarterly thematic digests on children and COVID-19

Each quarterly thematic digest features the latest evidence drawn from the Children and COVID-19 Research Library on a particular topic of interest.
Campaign Campaign

COVID-19 & Children: Rapid Research Response

UNICEF Innocenti is mobilizing a rapid research response in line with UNICEF’s global response to the COVID-19 crisis. The initiatives we’ve begun will provide the broad range of evidence needed to inform our work to scale up rapid assessment, develop urgent mitigating strategies in programming and advocacy, and preparation of interventions to respond to the medium and longer-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. The research projects cover a rapid review of evidence, education analysis, and social and economic policies.