Children and COVID-19 Research Library

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated physical inactivity, poor dietary intake and reduced mental wellbeing, contributing factors to non-communicable diseases in children. Cooking interventions are proposed as having a positive influence on children’s diet quality. Motor skills have been highlighted as essential for performance of cooking skills, and this movement may contribute to wellbeing. Additionally, perceived competence is a motivator for behaviour performance and thus important for understanding intervention effectiveness. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the effectiveness of an adapted virtual theory-based cooking intervention on perceived cooking competence, perceived movement competence and wellbeing. The effective theory-driven and co-created ‘Cook Like A Boss’ was adapted to a virtual five day camp-styled intervention, with 248 children across the island of Ireland participating during the pandemic. Pre- and post-intervention assessments of perceived cooking competence, perceived movement competence and wellbeing using validated measurements were completed through online surveys. Bivariate Correlations, paired samples t-tests and Hierarchical multiple regression modelling was conducted using SPSS to understand the relationships between the variables and the effect of the intervention.

Further investigation is needed to define the impact of long-term pandemic lockdown in children. This study aims to examine changes in body mass index z-score (zBMI), lifestyle, Health-Related Quality of Life and proportion of overweight or obesity (OW/OB) in 6- to 9-year-old children in Argentina. Observational study with baseline measurements prior to lockdown and follow-up after eight months of strict restrictive measures (November 2020, first visit, n = 144) and after ten months of partial reopening (September 2021, second visit, n = 108). Anthropometric changes from baseline to first visit in lockdown group (LG) were compared with a historical control group (HCG, n = 134). Follow-up visits included anthropometric measures, lifestyle questionnaire and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory.

Children never faced a pandemic situation. For this situation children’s lives are being affected, including their daily routine. This situation could have influenced both bad or good habit. One of the most alarming issue was their food consumption pattern during lockdown at home. This study aimed to assess an English medium school children’s food consumption habit during COVID-19 lockdown. This cross-sectional study was carried out about one of the English medium school children’s eating habits during the COVID-19 lockdown in Bangladesh. Online questionnaire was developed and delivered to the care giver of the children’s. Total 130 caregivers and 223 children were selected purposively. The study period was 1st October 2020 to February 2021.

Knowledge on the impact of the temporary kindergarten closure policy under COVID-19 in 2020 on childhood overweight and obesity is inadequate. We aimed to examine differences in rates of overweight and obesity from 2018 to 2021 among kindergarten children aged 3–7 years. Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI) > 1 standard deviation (SD) for age and sex, and obesity was defined as BMI > 2 SD for age and sex. Generalized linear mixed modeling was used for analysis.

This paper aimed to estimate the effects of school closures and associated lifestyle changes on myopia in Chinese children and adolescents during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Two cross-sectional surveys recruited 14,296 Chinese students aged 7 to 18 years in November 2019 and June 2020 from which an open cohort study (nested queue design) was derived and used to assess myopia prevalence, incidence, and progression rates (defined as students with progression in myopia severity at the second survey wave among those with myopia at baseline). The severity of myopia was determined by measurements of visual acuity (<5.0) and noncycloplegic refraction (spherical equivalent <−0.50 diopters). Twenty-three myopia-influencing factors were divided into three categories: eye-use habits, lifestyle, and family and subjective factors. Responses to each of these 23 factors were labeled as either positive or negative options and then combined to generate a comprehensive score.

Myopic shift had been observed during the COVID-19 lockdown in young school children. It remains unknown whether myopic shift is accompanied with increase in axial length. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on myopia and axial length of school children in China by comparing them before, during and after the lockdown. In this population-based cross-sectional study, school-based myopia screenings were conducted in the Fall of 2019, 2020, and 2021 (representing before, during and after COVID-19 lockdown respectively) in Chengdu, China. Myopia screenings were performed on 83,132 students aged 6 to 12 years. Non-cycloplegic refractive error was examined using NIDEK auto-refractor (ARK-510A; NIDEK Corp., Tokyo, Japan) and axial length was measured using AL-Scan (NIDEK Corp., Tokyo, Japan). Spherical equivalent (SER, calculated as sphere+ 0.5*cylinder), prevalence of myopia (SER ≤ -0.50 D), and axial length were compared across 3 years stratified by age.