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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

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

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3331 - 3345 of 6640
Rapid review: What are the risk factors associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes in children 12 years and under? 
Institution: National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools
Published: October 2021
At the outset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and during the ensuing first waves, the data from countries worldwide suggested children had much lower incidence of infection, and when infected were much less likely to experience hospitalization, severe illness, and death. As vaccines became available, large proportions of populations over age 12 have been vaccinated and some public health measures have been relaxed, leaving those under age 12 vulnerable to infection and severe illness. With the approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12 years expected shortly, there is a need to develop efficient and equitable immunization prioritization strategies for this age group. Similar to the strategy used with adults, one approach for an immunization strategy may be to offer immunization first to those with underlying health conditions who may be at greater risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Another approach may be to offer immunization first to children with the greatest risk of exposure as a result of high rates of infection in the communities in which they live or go to school, or as a result of their living arrangement (e.g., family members at high risk of infection due to occupation). An understanding of risk factors associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes among those 12 years and under will support decisions about optimal immunization strategies. This rapid review was produced to support public health decision makers’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This review seeks to identify, appraise, and summarize emerging research evidence to support evidence-informed decision making.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sedentary time and behaviour in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AUTHOR(S)
Adam Runacres; Kelly A. Mackintosh; Rachel L. Knight (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The aim of this meta-analysis was to quantify the change in sedentary time during the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on health outcomes in the general population. One thousand six hundred and one articles published after 2019 were retrieved from five databases, of which 64 and 40 were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis, respectively. Studies were grouped according to population: children (<18 years), adults (18–64 years) and older adults (>65 years). Average sedentary time was calculated, with sub-analyses performed by country, behaviour type and health outcomes. Children were most affected, increasing their sedentary time by 159.5 ± 142.6 min day−1, followed by adults (+126.9 ± 42.2 min day−1) and older adults (+46.9 ± 22.0 min day−1). There were no sex differences in any age group. Screen time was the only consistently measured behaviour and accounted for 46.8% and 57.2% of total sedentary time in children and adults, respectively. Increases in sedentary time were negatively correlated with global mental health, depression, anxiety and quality of life, irrespective of age. Whilst lockdown negatively affected all age groups, children were more negatively affected than adults or older adults, highlighting this population as a key intervention target. As lockdowns ease worldwide, strategies should be employed to reduce time spent sedentary.
Unmaskimg II: childhood lost
Institution: World Vision
Published: October 2021

To better understand the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on the lives of vulnerable children in Asia and to make evidence-based policy and programming decisions, World Vision conducted a Rapid Assessment in May 2020. The assessment found that COVID-19 had grossly heightened the vulnerabilities of children in Asia. Families had been experiencing devastating loss of livelihood which led to limited access to food, essential medicines, and basic healthcare. The resulting strain on families increased incidences of physical abuse, early marriage, and the entry of children into exploitative work. The assessment recommended, for the next immediate period, that Asian governments scale-up social protection interventions, increase investment in public works programmes,  target the most vulnerable through government social assistance schemes, provide support to micro, small and medium enterprises, and scale up and provide skill-building for community health workers.

Pacific aftershocks: unmasking the impact of COVID-19 on lives and livelihoods in the Pacific and Timor-Leste
Institution: World Vision
Published: October 2021

The aftershocks of COVID-19 threaten to undo decades of development gains across the Pacific region. World Vision surveyed 752 households in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu between July and December 2020 to gather first-hand accounts of the impacts of COVID-19 and its aftershocks on communities, families and their children. The findings highlight the human cost of the severe economic recession that has befallen the broader Pacific region since the pandemic, laying bare the region’s vulnerability to future shocks, stresses, and uncertainties.

COVID-19 and Child Marriage: How COVID-19’s impact on hunger and education is forcing children into marriage

AUTHOR(S)
Kate Shaw; Tendai Chigavazira; Tamara Tutnjevic

Institution: World Vision
Published: October 2021

How COVID-19's impact on hunger and education is forcing children into marriage. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, most experts estimated child marriage would continue for many more decades. Because the pandemic has increased poverty levels and hunger, and decreased access to education, the risk of girls becoming child brides is also increasing. This report pairs data from World Vision’s Youth Healthy Behaviour Survey with global literature to better understand the conditions which enable child marriage and how these conditions may be changing because of the global pandemic. The report analyzes 14,964 observations from children and youth aged 12 to 18 from World Vision programming sites in Ethiopia, Ghana, India, and Zimbabwe. Case studies also provide insights into the lives of girls within these communities.

Prenatal mental and physical health, behaviours, and maternity care experiences during the COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
K. Matvienko-Sikar; J. Pope; E. Olander (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: European Journal of Public Health

During pregnancy, women's mental and physical health, health behaviours, and experiences of maternity care can have significant implications for obstetric, maternal and child outcomes. These factors can be impacted by adverse life-events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined pregnant women's mental and physical health, health behaviours, and experiences of maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic. An international online survey was conducted in June and July 2020. Pregnant women self-reported levels of general stress, pregnancy-specific stress and COVID-19 related stress. Women also self-reported their mental and physical health, general health behaviours and COVID-19 related health behaviours. Maternity care experiences were reported using closed and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics and thematic analyses were used for quantitative and qualitative data respectively.

Concerns and effects of COVID-19 in families with babies: results of a nationwide survey in Finland 

AUTHOR(S)
J. Lammi-Taskula; R. Klemetti; M. Vuorenmaa (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: European Journal of Public Health

The COVID-19 has changed the everyday life of families. The aim of this study was to examine the concerns and effects of the pandemic on the everyday life of families with babies. The data consist of mothers (n = 4550) and fathers (n = 2955) with 3-6-month-old babies who participated in the national FinChildren survey in autumn 2020. The results were analyzed separately for mothers and fathers according to the number of children. One-child parents were compared to parents with several children by logistic regression adjusted for parents' age, education and economic situation.

Children and adolescents, who have less developed coping skills, are affected by natural disasters and other traumatic events differently than adults. Emotional and behavioral effects are particularly pronounced during a pandemic-related disaster, wh

AUTHOR(S)
S. Batram-Zantvoort; L. Wandschneider; O. Razumi (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: European Journal of Public Health

Measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic had major impacts on families, e.g., due to the unpredictable closing of childcare facilities and schools. Parents had to re-arrange their work, childcare and household obligations. This research is made of 17 email interviews with mothers having at least one child aged < =6 years. Topics included adjustments to the pandemic situation, views on motherhood and wellbeing. Collected data were analysed through content analysis.

COVID-19 pandemic: mental health in girls with and without fragile X syndrome

AUTHOR(S)
Tracy L. Jordan; Kristi L. Bartholomay; Cindy Hsin-Yu Lee (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Journal of Pediatric Psychology
Children and adolescents, who have less developed coping skills, are affected by natural disasters and other traumatic events differently than adults. Emotional and behavioral effects are particularly pronounced during a pandemic-related disaster, when support networks that typically promote healthy coping, such as friends, teachers, and family members, may be less available. Children and adolescents with fragile X syndrome (FXS), who are at increased risk for developing anxiety and depression, may be particularly vulnerable to behavioral or emotional difficulties during a pandemic. This study examined the mental health outcomes of school-aged girls with FXS during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated stay-at-home orders.
Young children’s play during a time of social distancing

AUTHOR(S)
Courtney Beers Dewhirst; Casey Cascio; Erin M. Casey

Published: October 2021   Journal: Early Child Development and Care
Through a 48-item questionnaire shared via social media, 546 participants from 47 American States reported on their children’s (ages 0–8) play activities during early social distancing efforts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results from the questionnaire indicate participants took social distancing guidelines seriously by keeping children at home and away from other children during the period of social distancing, thus affecting play behaviours. The study’s findings are significant in that they document some parents’ perspectives of their children’s play during a unique period in American history.
Resilience of adolescents, though weakened during pandemic-related lockdown, serves as a protection against depression and sleep problems

AUTHOR(S)
Huangqi Jiang; Wenle Yu; Danhua Lin (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Psychology, Health & Medicine
Adolescents facing adversities are susceptible to depression and sleep problems. Resilience is an important protective mechanism for coping with adversity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents faced hardships including being pulled from their schools and being unable to socialize with friends during mandated lockdowns. There were three aims in this study. First, it sought to test whether Chinese adolescents’ resilience was strengthened, maintained, or weakened during the COVID-19 lockdown. Second, it sought to test whether adolescents’ resilience predicted depressive symptoms and in turn, sleep problems. Third, it sought to examine the role social support may play. In a partially-longitudinal survey study, it demonstrated via a within-subject t-test and its Bayesian equivalent that Chinese adolescents’ resilience weakened during the lockdown compared with before the pandemic.
The importance of social supports in education: survey findings from students with disability and their families during COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Helen Dickinson; Catherine Smith; Sophie Yates (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Disability & Society
Emergency situations such as pandemics typically widen inequities, and Australian children and young people with disability already face significant inequities in the education system. This paper draws on survey data from over 700 respondents exploring education experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many families reported being left behind, finding it difficult to access education remotely, and that this was having a significant impact on wellbeing and mental health. This paper finds that of all support offered by schools, social supports have a stronger association with learner engagement than educational interventions. This finding indicates the importance of social and emotional supports in learning.
‘I think it’s been difficult for the ones that haven’t got as many resources in their homes’: teacher concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on pupil learning and wellbeing

AUTHOR(S)
Lisa E. Kim; Suzanna Dundas; Kathryn Asbury

Published: October 2021   Journal: Teachers and Teaching
School closures due to COVID-19 have been predicted to have a large impact on pupils’ learning and wellbeing. Systematic evidence about teachers’ perceptions of what challenges their pupils have faced, and how they have been addressing these challenges, will be important for post-pandemic planning. 24 teachers from English state mainstream primary and secondary schools were interviewed in June 2020 and asked to describe the impact of partial school closures on their pupils’ learning and wellbeing, and how they had been addressing challenges as individual teachers and at the whole school level. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Six themes were identified: (a) pedagogy and process, (b) communication with pupils and families, (c) life at home, (d) the role of parents, (e) a COVID-19 curriculum, and (f) moving forwards and making plans.
Parental perceptions of learning loss during COVID-19 school closures in 2020

AUTHOR(S)
Charlotte Booth; Aase Villadsen; Alissa Goodman (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: British Journal of Educational Studies
Schools across the UK were mostly closed from March to July 2020 due to Covid-19. Therefore, parents and children found themselves thrust into a prolonged period of home-schooling. In this study, parents (N = 2,122) reported on their children’s (N = 3,230) home-schooling experiences and its impacts on their children’s academic progress. Parental reports suggest that children spent around 3 hours each weekday doing schoolwork at home. Children enrolled in private secondary schools received 4 hours of virtual lessons each weekday from teachers, while state school children received just 1 hour. Parents, on the whole, reported concern for children’s academic progress. This is particularly so for children in secondary school and, most strikingly, those in school years antecedent to final exams (Years 10 and 12). Parents were less concerned about academic progress for those in Years 11 and 13, who had received their final exam grades shortly before the time of the survey. This study highlights the fact that children have been unequally affected by Covid-19 school closures, depending on their year group and school type, which should be considered in future research and policy.
Coproduction and satisfaction with online schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from European countries

AUTHOR(S)
Lorenzo Cicatiello; Elina De Simone; Marcella D’Uva (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Public Management Review
This paper investigates the effect of parents’ coproduction in online schooling on satisfaction with educational services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using European cross country microdata from the 2020 Eurofound survey, it reveals that parents’ involvement in home schooling is strongly correlated with their satisfaction with educational services. These results contribute to the on-going debate regarding the importance of citizens’ involvement in service delivery during the pandemic, and, in particular, on the related effects in terms of subjective satisfaction.
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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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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.
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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.