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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

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

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Caregiver perceptions of England's universal infant school meal provision during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Emyr Davies; Matia Vannoni; Sarah Steele

Published: January 2023   Journal: Journal of Public Health Policy
The United Nations (UN) recognises free school meals as critical, yet widely disrupted by COVID-19. This study investigated caregiver perceptions and responses to interruptions to the universal infant free school meal programme (UIFSM) in Cambridgeshire, England, using an opt-in online survey.
Food consumption pattern among children in an English medium school during COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Nabhira Aftabi Binte Islam; Faria Tabassum Tanni; Arzu Akter (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine

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.

Cite this research | Open access | Vol.: 40 | Issue: 2 | No. of pages: 32-37 | Language: English | Topics: Education, Health, Nutrition | Tags: child health, child nutrition, COVID-19 response, lockdown, school feeding programmes, social distance | Countries: Bangladesh
Providing school meals to all students free of charge during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: challenges and benefits reported by school foodservice professionals in California

AUTHOR(S)
Monica D. Zuercher; Juliana F. W. Cohen; Christina E. Hecht (et al.)

Published: September 2022   Journal: Nutrients
Universal school meals (USM) have the potential to increase access to healthy food for millions of U.S. students. This study evaluated school food authorities’ (SFA) perspectives of federal USM in response to COVID-19 (school year (SY) 2021–22) and California’s upcoming USM policy in the SY 2022–23. In February 2022, all SFAs in California (n = 1116) were invited to complete an online survey. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression examining differences by school demographic characteristics were used. Five hundred and eighty-one SFAs completed the survey; 63% of them first implemented USM during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Change in nutritional status of urban slum children before and after the first COVID-19 wave in Bangladesh: a repeated cross-sectional assessment

AUTHOR(S)
Hayman Win; Sohana Shafique; Nicole Probst-Hensch (et al.)

Published: July 2022   Journal: Plos One
The onset of COVID-19 severely disrupted economies and increased acute household food insecurity in developing countries. Consequently, a global rise in childhood undernutrition was predicted, especially among vulnerable populations, but primary evidence on actual changes in nutritional status remained scarce. This paper assessed shifts in nutritional status of urban slum children in Bangladesh pre- and post- the country’s first wave of COVID-19 and nationwide lockdown. It used two rounds of cross-sectional data collected before and after the pandemic’s first year in two large slum settlements (Korail and Tongi) of Dhaka and Gazipur, Bangladesh (n = 1119).
Virtual class and children food patterns during pandemic: a review

AUTHOR(S)
Sandeep ; Sudha Rathore; O. M. Prakash (et al.)

Published: July 2022   Journal: Journal of Educational and Social Research,
The new normal due to COVID-19 has changed the dynamics of every aspect of on life, be it household, professional life, finances, education or the food patterns. There has been lack of a fixed routine in the lives of children because of closure of schools, therefore the routine of wake up, sleep, time food timings have gone haywire. Children are indirectly affected by the pandemic, through poor diet, mental health effects, social isolation, screen addiction, unhealthy and irregular food habits. This paper is aimed at discussing the potential effect of pandemic on nutritional status of children; especially when children are indulged in continue classes for long hours, sitting one place. Data from various research papers have been discussed in this review paper, highlighting the impact of the new normal health of covid-19 on the nutritional health of children this situation requires effective and practical measures which can be adopted at the home setting to enhance the nutritional status and overall wellbeing of the children.
There should always be a free lunch: the impact of COVID-19 lockdown suspension of the mid-day meal on nutriture of primary school children in Karnataka, India

AUTHOR(S)
Prashanth Thankachan; Sumithra Selvam; Agnita R. Narendra (et al.)

Published: July 2022   Journal: BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020 resulted in school closures with eventual suspension of the mid-day meal programme, biannual deworming and iron–folic acid supplements. One year into the lockdown, we evaluated the impact of the withdrawal of these programmes on the nutritional status of rural primary-school children, aged 6–12 years, in Karnataka, India.  Anthropometry, haemoglobin, serum ferritin and C reactive protein were measured in 290 children at two time points, 1 year apart, starting from just before the lockdown (February 2020 to February 2021).

Changes and differences in school food standards (2010–2021) and free school meal provision during COVID-19 across the UK: potential implications for children's diets

AUTHOR(S)
Rebecca Louise McIntyre; Ashley J. Adamson; Michael Nelson (et al.)

Published: June 2022   Journal: Nutrition Bulletin
This paper explores changes to school food standards from 2010, free school meal provision during the COVID-19 pandemic across the UK and potential implications for children's diets. To obtain information on UK school food policies and free school meal provision methods  several sources were reviewed, including news articles, policy documents and journal articles. School food is an important part of the UK's health agenda and commitment to improving children's diets. Each UK nation has food-based standards implemented, however, only Scotland and Wales also have nutrient-based standards. School food standards in each nation have been updated in the last decade. Universal free school meals are available for children in the first 3 years of primary school in England and the first 5 years of primary school in Scotland, with plans announced for implementation of free school meals for all primary schoolchildren in Scotland and Wales. There is a lack of consistent monitoring of school food across the UK nations, and a lack of reporting compliance to the standards.
School meal access and changes in meal participation during COVID-19 school closures: a stratified random sample of CalFresh healthy living eligible school districts in California

AUTHOR(S)
Kaela Plank; Sridharshi Hewawitharana; Evan Talmage (et al.)

Published: April 2022   Journal: Preventive Medicine Reports
The National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are a nutrition safety net for millions of children in the United States, particularly children in households with lower incomes. During Spring 2020 COVID-19 school closures, schools served school meals through the Summer Meal Programs. Despite efforts to increase access, meal participation declined, and food insecurity increased. This study aimed to (1) describe meal program features as communicated in low-income California school districts’ on-line resources (2) examine associations between meal program features and change in meal participation between May 2019 and May 2020 and (3) evaluate equity by describing meal site coverage and placement relative to the size of priority populations.
Weight excess association with severity in children and adolescents with COVID-19: a systematic review

AUTHOR(S)
Mayara Luíza Oliveira da Silva Kist; Gabriela Rupp; Hanzen Andrades (et al.)

Published: April 2022   Journal: Clinical Nutrition ESPEN

Concomitantly to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in the child population there was already another pandemic wave in progress: childhood obesity. Numerous studies in adults have been carried out and describe obesity as an independent risk and prognostic factor for the severity of COVID-19. This study aims to systematically review the literature on the relation between weight excess and the severity of COVID-19 in children and adolescents. This systematic review was developed following the PRISMA standards (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis). The literature search was performed in September 2020, in the following databases: MEDLINE (via PubMed), EmbaseScopus, The Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL)), Web of Science, BVS/LILACS and SciELO.

Mobilizing and delivering essential meals to children and families affected by school closures during COVID-19 and beyond

AUTHOR(S)
Benjamin J. Ryan; Victoria Telford; Mark Brickhouse (et al.)

Published: April 2022   Journal: Journal of School Health

The closure of schools in response to COVID-19 compromised access to essential meals for many students. The Emergency Meals-to-You program, a public/private partnership, was set up to address this challenge. More than 38.7 million meals were delivered between April and August 2020. This study explores lessons learned and identifies strategies for strengthening food access and security at schools and beyond. Qualitative research methods were used. This included interviews and focus groups with participants involved in setting up and delivering the Emergency Meals-to-You program. Data were thematically analyzed using key phrases, ideas, and concepts, and interpreted.

Using social media to promote school nutrition programs during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Anne Whitesell; Hunter Fitch

Published: March 2022   Journal: Journal of School Health

Millions of school-aged children receive free or reduced-price lunches through the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National School Lunch Program; that service was disrupted when public schools closed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, this program received little attention on school districts' social media accounts. This research collected Twitter data from 70 Ohio public school districts to construct a measure of attention paid toward school nutrition programs from 2008 to 2021. It also collected district-level data to analyze the relationship between district characteristics and mentions of school nutrition programs.

A generational catastrophe: COVID-19 and children’s access to education and food in South Africa

AUTHOR(S)
Debra Shepherd; Nompumelelo Mohohlwane

Published: December 2021   Journal: Development Southern Africa
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been put at greater risk of school drop-out, as well as food insecurity and emotional health deterioration. This paper considers these issues as they have occurred in South Africa. It uses all waves of the National Income Dynamics Study–Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey to estimate non-return to school, access to school meals, and household well-being. The number of learners not attending school in 2021 is estimated to be close to quadruple pre-pandemic levels. Combined with estimates of learning lost, we can conclude that the pandemic has worn away at two decades of progress made in basic education. Evidence also indicates that school feeding has been slow to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Deepened levels of household hunger combined with a lack of access to free school meals is indicated to contribute to significantly greater levels of caregiver anxiety and psychological distress.
Experiences of increased food insecurity, economic, and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic among SNAP-enrolled food pantry clients

AUTHOR(S)
Robin T. Higashi; Anubha Sood; Ana Belen Conrado (et al.)

Published: December 2021   Journal: Public Health Nutrition

The COVID-19 pandemic initially doubled the rates of food insecurity across the USA and tripled rates among households with children. Despite the association among food insecurity, chronic disease and psychological distress, narratives depicting the experiences of already food insecure populations are notably underrepresented in the literature. The current study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on clients of a food pantry who were also enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This is a qualitative study probing the effects of the pandemic on daily living, food needs, food buying and food insecurity. Interview transcripts were analysed using a combined deductive and inductive approach. Interviews were conducted via telephone between May and June of 2020 among equal numbers of English- and Spanish-speaking clients (n 40 total).

Pre-pandemic to early-pandemic changes in risk of household food insecurity among Maryland families with children

AUTHOR(S)
Alysse J. Kowalski; Ann Pulling Kuhn; Hannah G. Lane (et al.)

Published: December 2021   Journal: Public Health Nutrition

The objective of this study was to examine risk and protective factors associated with pre- to early-pandemic changes in risk of household food insecurity (FI). Families from two statewide studies (2017-2020) in an observational cohort (May-August 2020) were re-enrolled. Caregivers reported on risk of household FI, demographics, pandemic-related hardships, and participation in safety net programs (e.g. CARES stimulus payment, school meals).

Lessons learned for emergency feeding during modifications to 11 school feeding programs in Latin America and the Caribbean during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Uriyoán Colón-Ramos; Rafael Monge-Rojas; Jael Goldsmith Weil (et al.)

Published: December 2021   Journal: Food and Nutrition Bulletin

School feeding programs (SFPs) can play a crucial role in the emergency food and nutrition response, but there is a dearth of information on how SFPs operate during emergencies. A rapid comparative assessment of 11 SFPs throughout Latin America and the Caribbean during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from (1) systematic document search and (2) surveys with key informants (n = 23) about barriers/facilitators to modifications were systematically analyzed using a multiple case study approach.

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