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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

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

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16 - 30 of 312
A qualitative study about how families coped with managing their well-being, children's physical activity and education during the COVID-19 school closures in England

AUTHOR(S)
Lisa Woodland; Ava Hodson; Rebecca K. Webster (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Plos One
In 2020, schools in England closed for six months due to COVID-19, resulting in children being home-schooled. There is limited understanding about the impacts of this on children’s mental and physical health and their education. Therefore, This study explored how families coped with managing these issues during the school closures. 30 qualitative interviews with parents of children aged 18 years and under (who would usually be in school) were conducted between 16 and 21 April 2020. Three themes and eight sub-themes that impacted how families coped whilst schools were closed were identified.
The association of families' socioeconomic and demographic characteristics with parents' perceived barriers to returning to youth sport following the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Daniel J. M. Fleming; Travis E. Dorsch; Sarfaraz Serang (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Psychology of Sport and Exercise
Developmentally appropriate sport contexts have the potential to positively influence young people’s physiological, psychological, and social outcomes. However, little is known about how families returned to sport in the wake of COVID-19-related restrictions or how socioeconomic and demographic factors influenced parents’ perceptions of barriers to returning. A nationally representative sample (N = 6183) of American youth sport parents completed a questionnaire in which they provided demographic information and answered questions related to the barriers they perceived in returning to sport, such as the risk of their child getting sick. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships among a range of socioeconomic and demographic factors and these barriers to returning.
Barriers and facilitators to comprehensive, school-based physical activity promotion for adolescents prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

AUTHOR(S)
Ashleigh M. Johnson; Pooja S. Tandon; Kiana R. Hafferty (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Health Education Research
This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to comprehensive, school-based physical activity (PA) promotion among adolescents prior to and during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, considering the perspectives of students, parents, and school staff. Data were collected from 2020 to 2021 using semi-structured individual interviews with students (n = 15), parents (n = 20), and school staff (n = 8) at a Title I middle school (i.e. high percentage of students from low-income families). Two theoretical frameworks guided analysis: the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program framework and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Using an iteratively developed codebook, data were coded, thematically analyzed, and synthesized. PA barriers and facilitators were present throughout the school day, at home, and in the community. Key determinants included pandemic-induced challenges (e.g. COVID-19 exposure); neighborhood characteristics/weather (e.g. neighborhood safety); school–family communication/collaboration; implementation climate (i.e. school staff’s support for programming); time, spatial, and monetary resources (e.g. funding); staffing capacity/continuity and school champions; staffing creativity and adaptability; PA opportunities before, during, and after school; and child’s motivation/engagement.
Understanding youth athlete motivation, training, and activity progression during and after the COVID-19 sports interruption

AUTHOR(S)
Elliot Greenberg; Eric Greenberg; J. Todd Lawrence (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: The International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy

COVID-19 restrictions created a period of disrupted sports participation for youth athletes. The physical conditioning, sports training habits, and patterns of sports activity resumption upon returning to normal sports activity are currently unknown. This study aimed to determine the extent to which youth athletes maintained their training levels during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and understand the strategies that enhanced motivation and adherence to a training regimen while in isolation. A secondary aim was to analyze how youth athletes returned to activity and identify injuries associated with prolonged sports interruption.

Influence of high school socioeconomic status on athlete injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic: an ecological study

AUTHOR(S)
Garrett Bullock; Albert Prats-Uribe; Charles Thigpen (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy

It is presently unclear how the cessation of high school sport has affected injury incidence at different socioeconomic levels. The COVID-19 pandemic may have disproportionately affected athletes of lower socioeconomic status, potentially increasing injury risk in this population. This study aims to:  1) describe athlete injury incidence prior to and during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years in high school athletes by socioeconomic status; 2) investigate the association between socioeconomic status and injury incidence in high school athletes.

Impact of distance learning in an online environment on physical performance in high school boys

AUTHOR(S)
Daniela Simeonova; Andrey Shalev

Published: December 2022   Journal: International Scientific Congress Applied Sports Sciences
One of the tasks of physical education in the different grades of the Bulgarian school is the purposeful development of motor skills and achieving an optimal level of physical activity for every age group. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a change in the way students are taught and the conduct of their physical education classes. In this regard, the aim of this research is to reveal the impact of one year of training in an online environment on the physical fitness of high school students. To achieve this goal, this research was conducted twice (at the beginning and end of the 2021/2022 school year) and tested 39 students (boys) from the “Peter Beron” high school for foreign language teaching - the city of Montana. It conducted the research through the national system for evaluating the physical fitness of students, which includes the tests of running 30 meters, long jump from a place with both feet, throwing a solid ball, running 200 meters shuttle run, and T-test. It applied a variation and comparative analysis to the data from the two tests.
Changes in the body composition of boys aged 11-18 years due to COVID-19 measures in the Czech Republic

AUTHOR(S)
P. Kutac; V. Bunc; M. Sigmund (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: BMC Public Health

The lockdown measures related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) impacted the health of adolescents by reducing physical activity (PA). The physical changes in response to decreases in PA can be measured with full body composition analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term PA restrictions on body fat (BF), fat-free mass (FFM) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) in adolescents. A total of 1669 boys (before PA restriction (G1): 998; after PA restrictions ended (G2): 671; between the ages of 11 and 18 were included. The measured parameters were body mass (BM), visceral fat area (VFA), BF, FFM and SMM. The whole-body composition was evaluated using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).

The relationship between nutrition-physical activity behaviors of autistic children with their families and fhildren's obesity levels during Covid pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Cevik Guner U. Umran; Bilkay İrem

Published: December 2022   Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
The family has a key role in the obesity management of children with autism. This study examines the relationship between the nutrition-physical activity behaviors of autistic children with their families and children’s obesity levels during covid-19 pandemic. The descriptive and cross-sectional study involved 80 parents of autistic children. A positive correlation was found between children’s mean BMI values before and during the pandemic(p = 0.000). Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Scale(FNPAS) and Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory(BAMBI) score were 55.18 ± 7.86 and 31.76 ± 8.79, respectively. In addition, it was found that 32.5% of the children ate more than before the pandemic, 50.0% engaged in less physical activity, and 16.3% didn’t do any physical activity. The study results suggesting the risk of obesity.
Effects of physical activity and use of digital devices on visual acuity in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

AUTHOR(S)
Xiao Zheng; Lei Shi; Weiyan Ou (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Frontiers in Public Health

To determine the association between poor visual acuity, the use of digital devices and physical activity (PA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 327,646 Chinese children and adolescents were included in the analysis using a cluster random sampling method; this is a case-control study, of those 144,708 children and adolescents with poor visual acuity were included in the case group, while 182,938 who did not have poor visual acuity were included in the control group. A logistic regression model was used to assess the contribution of PA and the use of digital devices to poor visual acuity.

Increased incidence of overweight and obesity among preschool Swedish children during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Anna Fäldt; Sahar Nejat; Sofia Edvinsson Sollander (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: European Journal of Public Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide effects on child health globally. Increased prevalence of childhood obesity has been observed by a number of countries during the pandemic. The absence of a formal societal lockdown during the pandemic, made Sweden stand out compared to other countries. This study aims to examine changes in BMI among preschool children in Sweden before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Retrospective population-based cross-sectional study, with longitudinal follow-up for a portion of the children. The study included 25 049 children from three Swedish regions, with growth measures at 3- (n = 16 237), 4- (n = 14 437) and 5-years of age (n = 11 711). Care Need Index was used as a socioeconomic parameter at health centre level.

Surveillance to improve physical activity of children and adolescents

AUTHOR(S)
John J. Reilly; Salome Aubert; Javier Brazo-Sayavera (et al.)

Published: November 2022   Journal: Bulletin of the World Health Organization

The global transition to current low levels of habitual physical activity among children and adolescents began in the second half of the last century. Low physical activity harms health in both the short term (during childhood and adolescence) and long term (during adulthood). In turn, low physical activity could limit progress towards several sustainable development goals, undermine noncommunicable disease prevention, delay physical and mental health recovery from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, increase health-care costs and hinder responses to climate change. However, despite the importance of physical activity, public health surveillance among children and adolescents is very limited globally and low levels of physical activity in children is not on the public health agenda in many countries, irrespective of their level of economic development. This article details proposals for improvements in global public health surveillance of physical activity from birth to adolescence based on recent systematic reviews, international collaborations and World Health Organization guidelines and strategies. Empirical examples from several countries illustrate how improved surveillance of physical activity can lead to public health initiatives. Moreover, better surveillance raises awareness of the extent of physical inactivity, thereby making an invisible problem visible, and can lead to greater capacity in physical activity policy and practice. The time has arrived for a step change towards more systematic physical activity surveillance from infancy onwards that could help inform and inspire changes in public health policy and practice globally.

Musculoskeletal complaints and associated factors in school children aged between 6 and 13 years in Istanbul during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

AUTHOR(S)
Ozdena Ozyemisci Taskira; Mahira Topaloglu; Esra Giray (et al.)

Published: November 2022   Journal: Work

Following the first COVID-19 cases in Turkey, face-to-face education was ceased after March 16, 2020 until the end of the educational year (i.e. June 19, 2020) and education was substituted remotely due to confinement. This study aims to investigate the frequency of musculoskeletal complaints in school-age children and associated risk factors including reduced physical activity, increased screen time and poor ergonomics conditions in school-age children during the pandemic. This cross-sectional study included parents or guardians of 960 students aged between 6–13 years old with a non-randomized sampling. A survey was administered consisting of 66 items related with sociodemographic characteristics of the children and family, online education hours, technological device(s) used, screen time, type of physical activity, presence of musculoskeletal problems and poor ergonomics conditions such as incorrect sitting posture.

Assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a school-aged program that supports physical activity and wellness

AUTHOR(S)
Stephanie R. Lebby; Amanda Myers; Andrew R. Bohm (et al.)

Published: November 2022   Journal: Psychiatric Quarterly
The prevalence of anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents aged 4 to 18 years has nearly doubled after the first year of the pandemic. However, only one in five adolescents diagnosed with anxiety is treated. We R H.O.P. E. is a school-based mental health program that includes evidence-based principles designed to engage children and adolescents in anxiety treatment, including wellness and emotional regulation, and the emotional CPR method. We R H.O.P. E. augments traditional services provided by school administrators, school social workers, school teachers, and school nurses. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of We R H.O.P. E.
Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on changes in nutritional status and physical activities of school-age children: a scoping review

AUTHOR(S)
Fajar Ari Nugroho; Annisa Nafilata Ruchaina; Angga Galih Luhur Wicaksono

Published: November 2022   Journal: Journal Gizi Pangan

This study's objective is to review the consequence of the COVID-19 epidemic on physical activities, sedentary  lifestyles,  screen  time,  and  changes  in  the  nutritional  status  of  school-age  children.  The outcomes  of  this  study  are  intended  to  be  applicable  to  obesity  management  in  children.  This  study reviewed  full-text  articles  and  open-access  publications  on  the  sedentary  lifestyle  of  children  during the pandemic. and the data were analyzed using cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional designs. The results of reviewing 17 articles show that school-age children’s physical activities and nutritional status have  decreased,  but  their  sedentary  lifestyle  and  screen  time  have  increased  due  to  social  restrictions  during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children’s decreased physical activities are caused by the absence of a comparable replacement mechanism as that before the pandemic. Meanwhile, the increasingly sedentary  lifestyle highly influences children’s physical and mental health. Screen time has also increased and is unavoidable during the pandemic because children’s activities were limited and their learning systems are switched to online learning; as a result, their supporting sedentary lifestyle increases while physical activities decrease. These factors have changed the nutritional status of children during the pandemic.

Nutritional status of younger primary school children in urban and rural areas of Montenegro in relation to sex and age during COVID-19 pandemic: a national study

AUTHOR(S)
Dragan Bacovic; Pavle Malovic; Erol Vrevic (et al.)

Published: November 2022   Journal: International Journal of Morphology
Prevention and correction of overweight in children and adolescents is also very important for many reasons. According to previous research, the problem tends to vary according to sex, and different ages and the lifestyle in rural and urban areas has changed drastically in recent years and decades. Regarding the above-mentioned, the main goal of this research was to determine the nutritional status of young school children in urban and rural areas of Montenegro in relation to sex and age. The sample in this research has consisted of children aged 6 and 9 (younger school age). The total sample in this research is 800 male and female children who belong to the urban and rural areas of Montenegro. The sample of variables used in this study was: body mass index-percentile values (BMI), and waist circumference and body height ratio (WHtR) which were used as indicators to assess nutritional status.
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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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