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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

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

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256 - 270 of 300
Eating behaviour, physical activity and lifestyle of Italian children during lockdown for COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Laura Censi; Stefania Ruggeri; Myriam Galfo (et al.)

Published: May 2021   Journal: International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition
In March 2020 Italy went into lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic and children changed rapidly their lifestyles with possible negative effects on their health status. An online survey collected data on eating habits, physical activity, perception/behaviour of 1027 Italian 2–11 years children during lockdown. The chi-square test was applied to test differences in proportions. Results showed a tendency of eating behaviour to worsen as children age and by areas. Only 32.3% of the children had high adherence to Mediterranean Diet, with better scores in 2–5 years children. 78.1% of the children stopped their habitual physical activity, with higher percentage among 6–11 and in Northern children; only 51.8% maintained some activities at home, playing mainly movement games/sports. Children spent more time on devices, missed school and friends, being more bored and less creative. This framework highlights the growing need for strategies to preserve children’s health in this and future pandemics.
Development and evaluation of a new measure of children's play: the Children's Play Scale (CPS)

AUTHOR(S)
Helen F. Dodd; Rachel J. Nesbit; Laura R. Maratchi

Published: May 2021   Journal: BMC Public Health
There is increasing recognition of the importance of children’s play from a public health perspective, given the links between play and children’s physical and mental health. The present research aimed to develop and evaluate a new parent-report questionnaire that measures the time children spend playing across a range of places and includes a supplement to evaluate how adventurously children play.
Impact of Covid-19 lockdown measures on lifestyle behavior in children and adolescents with severe obesity

AUTHOR(S)
Ozair Abawi; Mila Sofie Welling; Emma van den Eynde (et al.)

Published: May 2021   Journal: Journal of the Endocrine Society
During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown measures were implemented with large impact on lifestyle behaviors and well-being of children (including adolescents). The impact on children with severe obesity, who plausibly are at even larger risk, has not yet been described. Aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on eating behaviors, physical activity, screen time and quality of life (QoL) of children with severe obesity.
Czech adolescents’ remote school and health experiences during the spring 2020 COVID-19 lockdown

AUTHOR(S)
Kwok Ng; Alina Cosma; Karel Svacina (et al.)

Published: May 2021   Journal: Preventive Medicine Reports
Schools around the world were closed during the spring 2020 lockdown to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As such, these rapid changes to adolescent daily routines may have had immediate as well as long-term effects on their physical, social, and mental health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the experiences, health behaviors and perceived change in health behaviors among adolescents in Czechia during the spring 2020 lockdown.
Understanding at-the-moment stress for parents during COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions

AUTHOR(S)
Bridget Freisthler; Paul J. Gruenewald; Erin Tebben (et al.)

Published: May 2021   Journal: Social Science & Medicine

In spring 2020, many states in the United States enacted stay-at-home orders to limit the spread of COVID-19 and lessen effects on hospitals and health care workers. This required parents to act in new roles without much support. Although studies have asked parents about stress before and during the pandemic, none have examined how stress may have fluctuated throughout the day and the characteristics related to those daily changes. Our study assesses how time-varying (e.g., presence of a focal child) and day-varying (e.g., weekend vs. weekday) factors were related to parents’ level of stress.

Fathers matter: intrahousehold responsibilities and children's wellbeing during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy

AUTHOR(S)
Lucia Mangiavacchi; Luca Piccoli; Luca Pieroni

Published: May 2021   Journal: Economics & Human Biology
The lockdown imposed during the spring of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic upset families lives, in addition to the health consequences of the virus, forcing parents to completely reorganize their labor, domestic work and childcare time. At the same time, school closures forced children to rearrange their lives and learning processes: in Italy, schools and nurseries were closed for four months, and the incidence and quality of distance learning activities was heterogeneous across education levels and among schools. Using real-time survey data on families with under-16 children collected in April 2020, which include information on parents’ market and household work, and their perception of their children's wellbeing, we estimate how the lockdown has affected children's use of time, their emotional status and their home learning, and whether the reallocation of intrahousehold responsibilities during the lockdown played a role in this process. Changes in the parental division of household tasks and childcare, mostly induced by the labor market restrictions imposed during the lockdown, point to a greater involvement of fathers in childcare and homeschooling activities. This positive variation in fathers’ involvement is accompanied by an increase in children's emotional wellbeing and by a reduction in TV and passive screen time. On the other hand, the quality of children's home learning does not appear to depend on which parent is overseeing their work, but rather on the type of distance learning activities proposed by their teachers.
Initial impacts of COVID-19 on youth offending: an exploration of differences across communities

AUTHOR(S)
Molly McCarthy; Jacqueline Homel; James Ogilvie (et al.)

Published: April 2021   Journal: Journal of Criminology
A number of international studies have found that the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with reductions in crime, primarily due to changes in the routine activities of the population. However, to date there has been no targeted exploration of how COVID-19 may have influenced youth offending, which may be more heavily impacted by the changes heralded by COVID-19 containment measures. This study examines changes in youth offending in an Australia jurisdiction, Queensland, following the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures from the period April to June 2020. Additionally, differences in impacts across community types were explored.
Household chaos, maternal stress, and maternal health behaviors in the United States during the COVID-19 outbreak

AUTHOR(S)
Chelsea L. Kracht; Peter T. Katzmarzyk; Amanda E. Staiano

Published: April 2021   Journal: Women's Health
Household chaos, including disorder, noise, and crowding within the home, is a risk factor for poor mental and physical health. Household chaos may act upon maternal behaviors of physical activity and sleep, potentially via higher stress. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationships among household chaos, maternal stress, and maternal physical activity and sleep, and identify barriers to home organization during the COVID-19 outbreak
The impact of COVID-19 on the lives and mental health of Australian adolescents

AUTHOR(S)
Sophie H. Li; Joanne R. Beames; Jill M. Newby (et al.)

Published: April 2021   Journal: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
There has been signifcant disruption to the lives and mental health of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to assess the psychological and lifestyle impact of the pandemic on Australian adolescents, using an online survey, administered during the outbreak. Self-report surveys were administered online to a sample of 760 Australian adolescents aged 12–18 years assessing impact on a range of domains including behaviour, education, relationships, lifestyle factors (exercise, technology use, and sleep), and mental health outcomes (psychological distress, loneliness, health anxiety and well-being).
Children’s changing behaviours and routines, challenges and opportunities for parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Iskender Gelir; Nurullah Duzen

Published: April 2021   Journal: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education
This study examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents and preschool children from parents’ perspectives. We used an open-ended online questionnaire to reach parents (81: 60 mothers and 21 fathers). The questionnaire includes questions about gender, age, occupation and educational level, and questions about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ecological model is used as the theoretical construct to examine interactions between children and parents at home. Three main categories are identified: changing behaviours and routines, challenges and difficulties, and opportunities for parenting. The participants report that children’s 11 social and emotional behaviours change during the pandemic in general and the lockdown.
COVID-19 and sleep patterns in adolescents and young adults

AUTHOR(S)
Laura Ramos Socarras; Jérémie Potvin; Geneviève Forest

Published: April 2021   Journal: Sleep Medicine
In March 2020, the world experienced a global pandemic, which involved the shutdown of schools or a transposition to remote teaching in most countries. The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic related lockdown on sleep patterns and sleep quality in adolescents and young adults.
Safely social: promoting and sustaining adolescent engagement in social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Ming-Te Wang; Christina L. Scanlon; Meng Hua (et al.)

Published: April 2021   Journal: Journal of Adolescent Health
Adolescents are at risk for violating COVID-19 social distancing measures owing to salient developmental needs for autonomy and relatedness. This intensive longitudinal study investigated the initiation and sustainment of adolescents' daily social distancing behaviors. Focus group and daily-diary approaches were used to collect 6,216 assessments from a nationwide American adolescent sample (n = 444; Mage = 15.1; 40% male; 42% black/African American, 40% white/European American, 10% Latinx, 6% Asian American, 2% Native American) over the course of 14 days at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sexual and mental health of adolescent and adult men who have sex with men and transgender women participating in two PrEP cohort studies in Brazil: COBra study protocol

AUTHOR(S)
Dulce Ferraz; Inês Dourado; Eliana Miura Zucchi (et al.)

Published: April 2021   Journal: BMJ Open
The COVID-19 pandemic and its control measures have impacted health and healthcare provision in various levels. Physical distancing measures, for instance, may affect sexual health, impacting access to HIV prevention supplies and changing sexual behaviour, as well as mental health, increasing feelings of unsafety and weakening community support ties. These effects can be worsened among socially marginalised groups, such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW). Brazil is among the countries most affected by COVID-19 in the world, where control measures have been inconsistently implemented. This study aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sexual and mental health of adolescent and adult MSM and TGW in Brazil.
The changing nature of ministry amongst children and families in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Sarah E. Holmes

Published: April 2021   Journal: Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry
Empirical data was gathered from parents, grandparents, and practitioners, which revealed the impact of Covid-19 on UK children and family ministry. Prevailing restrictions and associated needs caused significant change in the nature of this ministry, and may not be temporary. Key observations were reduction in engagement of families with the church, shift in the volunteer structure for church-based children’s activities, increased focus on family faith formation activities, and diversified individual faith journeys of children.
Eating habits of children and adolescents during the COVID‐19 pandemic: the impact of social isolation

AUTHOR(S)
Michelle Teixeira Teixeira; Raquel Santiago Vitorino; Julia Holandino da Silva (et al.)

Published: April 2021   Journal: Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics

The social isolation enforced as a result of the new coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic may impact families’ lifestyle and eating habits. The present study aimed to assess the behaviour and dietary patterns of Brazilian children and adolescents during the social isolation imposed by the COVID‐19 pandemic. The present study was conducted using an online, anonymous cross‐sectional survey with 589 children and 720 adolescents from Brazil during a nationwide social isolation policy.

256 - 270 of 300

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.

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