Czech adolescents' remote school and health experiences during the spring 2020 COVID-19 lockdown

Effect of school lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on screen time among adolescents in Hungary: a longitudinal analysis

Introduction

Studies indicate that due to school lockdown during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, screen time increased more steeply than pre-pandemic years. The aim of our study was to examine changes in screen time and its components (screen time spent on videos, games, homework, and other activities) of adolescents affected by COVID-19 school closures compared to controls from pre-pandemic years and to assess the effect of family structure and family communication.

Methods

Two sets of ninth-grader boys and girls transitioning into 10th grade were included in the analysis. The 'pre-COVID classes' (controls) completed the baseline survey in February 2018 and the follow-up survey in March 2019. 'COVID classes' (cases) completed the baseline survey in February 2020 (1 month before the COVID-19-related school lockdowns) and the follow-up survey in March 2021. Linear mixed models stratified by sex were built to assess the change in screen time over one year adjusted for family structure and communication.

Results

Our study population consisted of 227 controls (128 girls, 99 boys) and 240 cases (118 girls, 122 boys). Without COVID-19, overall screen time did not change significantly for boys, but there was a decrease in screen time for gaming by 0.63 h, which was accompanied by an increase of 1.11 h in screen time for other activities (consisting mainly of social media and communication). Because of the pandemic, all components increased by 1.44-2.24 h in boys. Girls' screen time and its components remained stable without school lockdown, while it increased for videos and homework by 1.66-2.10 h because of school lockdown. Living in a single-parent household was associated with higher, while better family communication resulted in lower screen time.

Discussion

Our results indicate that COVID-19-related school lockdowns modified the age-specific increase in screen time for boys and girls as well. This trend, however, may be counterbalanced by improving communication between family members.

Changes in the prevalence of obesity in Czech adolescents between 2018 and 2022 and its current non-genetic correlates - HBSC study

BACKGROUND

The main aim of the study is to examine changes in the prevalence of obesity in Czech adolescents between 2018 and 2022 and its current non-genetic correlates with respect to the adolescents' families'socioeconomic status (SES) in 2022.

METHODS

The sample of 24,535 adolescents (n = 11,629/12,9062018/2022; boys: 50.4/50.6%2018/2022) aged 10.5-16.5 years that was analysed was drawn from two nationally representative cohorts of Czech youngsters from the last two cycles of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) online questionnaire survey from 2018 to 2022. Obesity is represented by the > 97th percentile interval on the World Health Organization Body Mass Index percentile chart, with distinctions by sex and the age of adolescents. The differences in the prevalence of obesity between boys and girls from all SES family categories in 2018 and 2022 were tested using a chi-square test (χ2). Multiple logistic regression analysis with repeated measures was used to analyse correlates of obesity in 2022.

RESULTS

Between 2018 and 2022, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity in girls or boys in any of the SES categories of families. Adolescents from low-SES families have the highest prevalence of obesity, 11% for boys and 5.8% for girls, significantly higher (p < .001) than its prevalence among adolescents from high-SES families, by + 4.8% points for boys and + 3.9% points for girls. Among adolescents from low-SES families, individuals who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) daily (p < .005) or vigorous PA three times per week (p < .05) were significantly less likely to be obese than their less active peers. Skipping breakfast significantly (p < .05) increased the odds of obesity, but only among adolescents from low-SES families. Shorter screen time (ST) significantly (p < .05) reduced the odds of obesity for all categories of adolescent SES.

CONCLUSIONS

Obesity is most pronounced in adolescents from low-SES families as a result of a long-term positive energy balance mediated by unbalanced behaviour. Significantly lower odds of obesity in adolescents from low-SES families were confirmed to be associated with regular practice of the recommended PA, shorter ST, and not skipping breakfast.

Physical activity and mental health in children and youth during COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and universal mitigation strategies have fundamentally affected peoples' lives worldwide, particularly during the first two years of the pandemic. Reductions in physical activity (PA) and increased mental health (MH) problems among children and youth have been observed. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the relationship between physical activity (PA) and mental health (MH) among children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Four electronic databases (EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science) were systematically searched to identify studies that (1) examined the relationship between PA and MH among children and youth (aged 2-24 years old) and (2) were published in peer-reviewed journals in English between January 2020 and December 2021. Relationships between PA and two MH aspects (i.e., negative and positive psychological responses) among children and youth at different age ranges and those with disabilities or chronic conditions (DCC) were synthesized. Meta-analyses were also performed for eligible studies to determine the pooled effect size.

RESULTS

A total of 58 studies were eventually included for variable categorization, with 32 eligible for meta-analyses. Our synthesis results showed that greater PA participation was strongly related to lower negative psychological responses (i.e., anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, fatigue, and mental health problems) and higher positive psychological responses (i.e., general well-being and vigor) in children and youth during COVID-19. The pattern and strength of relations between PA and MH outcomes varied across age ranges and health conditions, with preschoolers and those with DCC receiving less attention in the existing research. Meta-analysis results showed that the magnitude of associations of PA with negative (Fisher's z = - 0.198, p < 0.001) and positive (Fisher's z = 0.170, p < 0.001) psychological responses among children and youth was weak. These results were linked to age of participants, study quality, and reporting of PA-related information.

CONCLUSIONS

PA participation and MH among children and youth deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic and were closely associated with each other. For the post-COVID-19 era, additional research on age- and health condition-specific relationships between PA and MH outcomes from a comprehensive perspective is warranted. (Word count: 344 words).

Socioeconomic Deprivation and Inequalities in Mental Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adolescents

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the existing inequalities in education and mental health. The aim of this study was to examine socioeconomic disadvantages and mental well-being inequalities among Slovenian adolescents in October 2020. The study used nationally representative data from 3052 adolescents aged 14 and 18 (Mage = 14.4 and 18.4). The WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) was used to measure mental well-being and risk for depression. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify differences in the pattern of associations regarding sociodemographic characteristics and experiences during the pandemic with poor well-being and risk for depression. Our study found that adolescents from socially disadvantaged families faced poorer conditions as regards academic performance, had fewer opportunities to socialise with friends online, and were more likely to feel lonely; they reported lower levels of mental well-being and were at a higher risk for depression. The unemployment of both parents and adolescents' perceptions of family wealth were found to be the most important predictors of depression risk. In addition, experiencing deprivation and economic hardship during the pandemic was also identified as a significant predictor. The study concludes that social and economic conditions were critical determinants of adolescents' mental health during the pandemic and that effective intervention is needed to promote their well-being and reduce inequalities.

Physical, psychological, and behavioral problems among children and adolescents in countries with different economic statuses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children and adolescents' physical activity (PA), sleeping patterns, and psychological and behavioral health. Yet, little is known about the differences between those in countries with various economic statuses.

Methods

Articles published from database inception through 16 March 2022 were retrieved using CINAHL Complete, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline, PubMed, and PsycINFO. High-quality studies that reported the number of participants with parameters associated with PA, sleeping patterns, and psychological and behavioral problems in young people aged under 18 years during the pandemic were included. We referenced the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for PA and sleep duration to provide the event rate for young people who were not compliant with the guidelines. The event rate of young people who had decreased sleep quality and experienced psychological and behavioral problems were also investigated. A subgroup analysis was conducted to identify the differences in those in countries with diverse economic statuses. Funnel plot analysis and Egger's test were also conducted to identify any risk of publication bias.

Result

A total of 66 studies with 1,371,168 participants aged between 0 and 18 years, involving 27 countries, were included. During the pandemic, we identified that 41% (95% CI: 39%, 43%; I²= 96.62) and 43% (95% CI: 34%, 52%; I²= 99.42) of young people did not meet the PA and sleep duration recommendation guidelines. In addition, 31% (95% CI: 28%, 35%; I²= 99.66) of young people had decreased their sleep quality. Yet, no significant difference was found across countries with different economic statuses. However, the event rates of participants with psychological and behavioral problems were 32% (95% CI: 28%, 36%; I²= 99.85) and 19% (95% CI: 14%, 25%; I²= 99.72), respectively. In addition, the rate of psychological problems was more severe in those who live in lower middle-income countries (p < 0.001), while the rate of behavioral problems was more severe in those who live in high-income countries (p = 0.001).

Discussion

During the pandemic, the discouragement of PA, poor sleep quality, and high risk of psychological and behavioral problems are concerning. A large number of young people did not comply with the recommendation guidelines. Timely implementation of recovery plans is critical to address the adverse effects on young people.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=309209, identifier CRD42022309209.

Youth physical activity and the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

•

Numerous studies examined youth physical activity (PA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

•

Overall decreases in youth PA were seen during the first 1.5 years of the pandemic.

•

There were differences in PA by sub-populations (e.g., age, sex/gender)

•

There were also differences in PA by location/type (e.g., outdoor, play)

•

Programming and policy should focus on evolving PA promotion for youth.

The purpose of the systematic review was to identify, evaluate, and synthesize evidence from available published literature examining the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on youth physical activity (PA). A systematic review of the literature was conducted for years 2020–2021. Published articles were searched in eight databases. Inclusion criteria included: availability of full-text, written in English language, and reported quantitative or qualitative results of original or secondary data on PA and COVID-19 related factors among youth (ages 5–17 years). A standard quality assessment tool assessed risk of bias and quality of included articles. The search retrieved 2,899 articles with 51 articles ultimately meeting inclusion criteria. The majority of articles (65 %) investigated change in PA from before to during the pandemic. Most evidence indicated an overall decrease in youth PA levels during the pandemic with differences observed among sub-populations (e.g., age, sex or gender), type, and location. Findings suggest pandemic-related closures hindered PA participation due to a high reliance on school- and sport-based PA. Programmatic strategies (e.g., activity breaks, active curriculum, free online activities/lessons) should include aligning intervention measures and geared towards evolving and ongoing PA promotion based on the latest findings.

Remote Learning Experience and Adolescents' Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Does the Future Hold?

Background. Major shifts within the education system have taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic; frontal teaching was often replaced with remote learning, which has affected students in many ways. We investigated the associations and predictors of perceptions of the remote learning experience on well-being (life satisfaction, self-rated health, psychosomatic, and psychological symptoms). Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional research study consisting of 1019 school students in Israel aged 11−18 (53.5% girls, 46.7% boys). Questionnaires were distributed from May−July 2021 during school time. The percentages of participants with various levels of well-being (WB) and remote learning experience were compared. Multiple regression procedures were used to analyze factors predicting wellbeing. Results. All of the remote learning items had statistically significant positive correlations with life satisfaction and self-rated health (i.e., better overall WB was associated with a more positive perception of the remote learning experience). Male gender, high socioeconomic status, greater involvement in lessons in the past year, and connection to the pedagogical team/school and peers predicted better overall WB (F-ratio = 14.03; p < 0.01; adjusted R2 = 0.08). Conclusions. Our results highlight the need for schools to target youths’ coping skills, which may lead to better remote learning experiences. These findings also provide several implications for the need to support children and adolescents through positive activities, relaxation/mindfulness, and cognitive coping to deal with the psychosomatic symptoms during remote learning periods.

A narrative review into the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on senior high school adolescent mental health

Problem

High school teenagers are facing significant challenges during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Teenagers are at risk of experiencing physical, mental, and social health problems due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. This narrative review aims to explore the impact of COVID‐19 on the emergence of mental health problems in high school adolescents.

Methods

This study employed a narrative review method. We conducted a systematic search using PRISMA on three databases: Medline, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. A total of 40 articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria set based on the research objectives.

Findings

The study uncovered that high school adolescents had an increased risk of experiencing mental health problems, namely psychological distress, worry, loneliness, anxiety, depression, traumatic symptoms, other psychological disorders, suicide risk, sleep disorders, and psychosocial functioning. Anxiety, depression, and psychological stress were the most discussed mental health problems among high school adolescents during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Conclusions

There is a need for efforts to identify health problems and intervene in mental health problems early in high school adolescents. Schools, mental health workers, and the government (e.g., policy stakeholders) need to implement the recommendations given as a follow‐up effort for mental health services for high school youth.

Leisure Time Use and Adolescent Mental Well-Being: Insights from the COVID-19 Czech Spring Lockdown

BACKGROUND

As leisure-one of the crucial life domains-was completely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, our study aimed to investigate how adolescents spent their leisure time during the Spring 2020 lockdown. Secondly, we aimed to investigate the associations between the perceived changes in leisure time use, the leisure activities adolescents engaged in, and the associations with well-being during the Spring 2020 lockdown in Czechia.

METHODS

Data from 3438 participants were included in this study (54.2% girls; mean age = 13.45, SD = 1.62). First, the initial number of items measuring leisure, electronic media use, and sports was reduced through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Multivariate linear regression models tested the associations between leisure domains and mental well-being Results: The amount of leisure time, together with socially active leisure and sports and physical activity, formed the strongest positive predictors of mental well-being, whereas idle activities and time spent on electronic media acted as negative predictors. The amount of time spent doing schoolwork was unrelated to mental well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our results support the idea that leisure as a promoting factor for well-being is not just a matter of its amount but rather of engagement in meaningful and fulfilling activities.

The Outcome of COVID-19 Lockdown on Changes in Body Mass Index and Lifestyle among Croatian Schoolchildren: A Cross-Sectional Study

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic altered adults' and children's lifestyles and habits, causing an increase in body weight. Adolescents are sensitive to habit changes and, because of their insufficient capacity to deal with the unexpected COVID-19 changes, were at greater risk of noncommunicable disease development due to the consequences of adopting unhealthy habits. The survey aimed to reveal the changes in nutritional status and lifestyle habits of school children in Croatia and to assess their nutrition knowledge and emotional state and feelings about COVID-19 lockdown. Self-reported data from 1370 school children aged 10 to 15 years were obtained to examine the influence of the lockdown on their nutritional status, lifestyle and emotional status, and to assess their nutrition knowledge. The study revealed that the COVID-19 lockdown has caused an increase in the proportion of overweight and obesity among Croatian school children who changed their lifestyle habits towards being less physically active, spending more time using screen-based media and revealing potential psychological distress. However, the schoolchildren had a high adherence to the Mediterranean diet assessed with the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents KIDMED index and had good nutrition knowledge. Public health programs promoting a healthy lifestyle and involving the whole family, in a school environment, could provide children with a healthy adulthood.

Effect of the COVID-19 Emergency on Physical Function among School-Aged Children

In April 2020, the Japanese government declared a state of emergency due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Schools were closed and a stay-at-home order was issued in April and May 2020. This before-and-after study aimed to measure the effects of these COVID-19-related restrictions on physical function among Japanese children. The study included children aged 6–7 years, enrolled before and after the emergency declaration. Their body fat percentage, single-leg standing time, Gait Deviation Index score, and history of falls were compared. There were 56 and 54 children in the before and after groups, respectively. Children in the after group had a higher body fat percentage (p = 0.037), shorter single-leg standing time (p = 0.003), and a larger number of falls per month (p < 0.001) than those in the before group. In the logistic regression analysis, children in the after group had a significantly shorter single-leg standing time (odds ratio (OR): 0.985, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.972−0.997, p = 0.013), a greater number of falls per month (OR: 1.899, 95% CI: 1.123−3.210, p = 0.017), and a higher body fat percentage (OR: 1.111, 95% CI: 1.016−1.215, p = 0.020) than those in the before group. The COVID-19 emergency restrictions had a negative effect on children’s physical function, especially on balance.

Longitudinal Changes in Adolescents' School Bonding During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Individual, Parenting, and Family Correlates

The current study examined changes in adolescents' school bonding from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic and its individual, parenting, and family-level correlates. Participants were two adolescents (50% male; M_age  = 14 years) and one parent (85% female; M_age  = 45 years) from 682 families (N = 2046) from an ongoing longitudinal study. Adolescents reported on their school bonding, stress, and coping, while parents reported on their involvement in adolescents' education and pandemic-related financial need. A two-wave latent change score model suggested that adolescents' school bonding decreased from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stress and pandemic-related financial need served as risk factors, whereas coping and parental involvement served as protective factors against declines in adolescents' school bonding.

The impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity of Czech children

INTRODUCTION

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and related restrictions (closed schools and sports centers, social isolation, masks) may have a negative impact on children's health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of physical activity (PA) of Czech children during COVID-19 in autumn 2020.

METHODS

Ninety-eight Czech children (mean age = 10.1 ± 1.47 years) completed the standardized Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Czech Children (PAQ-C/cz) during COVID lockdown. Data were compared with previously published norms. Thirty-five children also reported daily number of steps measured by accelerometers.

RESULTS

Total PAQ-C score was 0.38 lower during COVID compared to Pre-COVID [t(302) = 5.118., p < .001]. The male PAQ-C total score was 0.37 lower [t(146) = 3.21., p = .002)] and the female total score was 0.39 lower [t(154) = 3.97., p < .001] during COVID compared to Pre-COVID. Specifically, responses of PA during spare time, before-school, physical education (PE), and recess were significantly lower during COVID. The average number of steps was 7.767 steps/day (boys = 9.255; girls = 6.982).

CONCLUSION

COVID lockdown resulted in significant reduction of PA in Czech children. Strategies to promote adequate PA of children during the pandemic need to be determined.