A Mixed Methods Research Study of Parental Perception of Physical Activity and Quality of Life of Children Under Home Lock Down in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Parental Involvement and Stress in Children's Quality of Life: A Longitudinal Study with Portuguese Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period

Parental involvement (PI) has particular relevance on children's academic adjustment and on children's general quality of life (QoL). QoL can be influenced by parental stress, specifically the stress suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the differences during the pandemic period (before, after and with no lockdown), comparing these constructs with parental educational level to provide predictors of their children's quality of life. Data collection was performed with a non-probability convenience sampling procedure. It was composed of 129 parents, mainly women (71.8%), with children aged between 6 and 12 years. The family's sociodemographic characteristics were assessed, as well as the PI, parental stress, and children's QoL. The comparison between the three times revealed an increase in the children's QoL, but no differences were found in PI. Based on the parental educational level, as defined by academic qualifications and split into superior and non-superior levels, it is possible conclude that engagement in school activities and parents' meetings increased in the parents with superior education levels and decreased in the parents with lower education levels. This study concluded that despite this difficult and uncertain pandemic period, these parents were able to maintain important aspects of their children's lives.

Physical activity and mental health in school-aged children: a prospective two-wave study during the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions

BACKGROUND

Because physical activity (PA) has many benefits for children's and adolescents' mental health, it has been suggested that PA may be an effective strategy to physically and mentally recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study tested the reciprocal relationship between PA and mental health during the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. It was hypothesized that mental health during the pandemic would determine how much children and adolescents re-engage in PA after easing the restrictions. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that PA engagement would predict mental health improvement after the pandemic.

METHODS

This was a prospective study with two measurement occasions. Pretest data collection was undertaken in February 2022, shortly before German authorities eased and lifted the COVID-19 restrictions. The follow-up (posttest) occurred six weeks later (April 2022). Both times, a sample of elementary and grammar school students aged 6 to 18 years (N = 170) reported their mental health problems and health-related quality of life. Mental health problems were assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and health-related quality of life was assessed with the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire. PA was measured continuously during the study period using smart electronic devices with a built-in pedometer.

RESULTS

PA gradually increased after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions (p < .001). This increase was unrelated to pretest mental health problems and health-related quality of life except for emotional symptoms (p = .041). Participants with higher emotional symptoms showed a sharper increase in PA towards the end of the study period. Furthermore, hyperactivity decreased (p = .004) and physical well-being (p = .004), perceived autonomy (p < .001), and perceived quality of school environment (p = .008) improved from before to after the easing of restrictions, yet participants' PA predicted none of these changes.

CONCLUSIONS

The adverse effects of COVID-19 containment on PA seem to alleviate after children and adolescents are allowed to return to schools. This is likely to be due to the school setting, which provides many different opportunities for formal and informal PA rather than students' mental health. School-related PA programs should be part of children's and adolescents' recovery from the pandemic .

Knowledge about COVID-19 between Children and Adolescents with and without High Intellectual Abilities

Among the characteristics within people with high intellectual abilities, some that stand out are a better handling of information, asynchronous development, high awareness, and sensibility. Therefore, our goal was to learn if, due to these characteristics, the children and adolescents with high intellectual abilities have a better understanding and comprehension about COVID-19 compared to those with average intellectual abilities. A qualitative study was conducted at the beginning of the lockdown with 649 children with and without high intellectual abilities. An online questionnaire was used and three open questions were analyzed with the ALCESTE software. The results showed that both groups had a similar handling of the information regarding COVID-19. Despite this, in the high ability group there is a greater social concern, which coincides with some characteristics associated with a more developed moral conscience. The results are then discussed in terms of the importance of designing actions that allow us to adequately follow the control and intervention strategies, as well as to propose improvements in the communication of relevant information before diverse crises to which the child population may be exposed.

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.

The Need for Health Education and Vaccination-Importance of Teacher Training and Family Involvement

The health emergency due to COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of vaccination and its impact on social welfare. Inequalities have surfaced that affect the most vulnerable and those millions of children do not receive the necessary vaccines. Health education becomes a fundamental resource for citizens to access universal rights. One thousand people from 76 countries on five continents participated in this research in 2019–2020, from the health, education, and economic sectors. A descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative design was used. The instrument used was a correctly validated questionnaire: VACUNASEDUCA. The objectives were to reflect on the adequacy of teacher training and their awareness for the proper use of vaccines and to analyze the knowledge of parents about the consequences of vaccination. The results demonstrate the importance of teacher training and health education, with positive involvement of the family. The most favorable group is female, under 30 years, from the European continent, with a very high Human Development Index (HDI), and from the education sector. In conclusion, it is noted that, within the framework of the fourth industrial revolution, education must be configured with innovative approaches and tools, making it necessary to intervene in the context considering their cultural characteristics and promoting healthy lifestyle habits.

Inclusive Education for Health: Analysis of the Mandatory Nature of Vaccination and Its Regulation by Administrations, and Implications and Considerations for Vaccination against COVID

In the process of vaccination against COVID-19, the problem of parents who do not want to vaccinate their school-age children has been evident. A conflict arises between two fundamental rights: the right to ideological freedom, privacy, and physical integrity of parents and minors who do not opt for vaccination; and the right to health of the rest of the children who attend the same school, provoking a social debate on the need to introduce regulatory changes that favor the mandatory imposition of vaccination in certain cases. This research offers an observational study through a cross-sectional design of a quantitative nature, in which one thousand people belonging to the education, health, and economy sectors from seventy-six countries of five continents have participated. The instrument used was a previously validated questionnaire: VACUNASEDUCA. It was considered essential to know the awareness of vaccination processes of professionals from essential social sectors. Therefore, the objectives were: to reflect on the measures of mandatory vaccination, to know the importance of teachers being able to demand a regulated vaccination card from students, to study the need for regulation by administrations of compliance with vaccines, and to analyze the importance of health education. It has been shown that women and those under thirty years of age are the least in favor of compulsory vaccination, with the health sector being the most defending of their demand, and with Europe with the lowest means. It is concluded that mandatory vaccination could be an acceptable tactical option to prevent high-risk situations.

Estimating the Impact of the Pandemic on Children's Physical Health: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Children are expected to adhere to the recommended physical activity (PA) dose of 60 minutes per day and minimize sedentary behaviors (SB) to stray away from the cardio-metabolic disease risk. However, there is a lack of review of current evidence pointing to the negative physical health effects of the Covid-19 lockdown, with its barriers and facilitators for effective PA implementation in children aged 3 to 13.

METHODS

Two independent authors conducted an extensive search on five peer-reviewed journal databases for the studies examining changes in PA or SB in children and the potential barriers during Covid-19 lockdown.

RESULTS

Of 1039 studies initially screened, only 14 studies were included. Ninety-three percent of the studies were cross-sectional surveys. A 34% reduction in PA was noted while SB, including screen time, increased by 82%. Our review identified potential barriers to the effective implementation of PA behaviors in children at four levels: individual, family, school, and government policies.

CONCLUSIONS

A moderate reduction in PA and high SB in children during lockdown was linked with obstacles at the individual, family, school, and political levels. Stakeholders should consider the above barriers when designing and implementing interventions to address low PA and SB practices.

Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Scoping Review

To counteract the COVIC-19 pandemic, many governments have introduced social distancing measures. While these restrictions helped contain the virus, it had adverse effects on individuals’ mental and physical health—especially children. The aim of the present study is to review the evidence on the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on children’s physical activity and their determinants. A scoping review was conducted in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, SportDiscus, and BISp-Surf. Inclusion criteria were empirical and peer-reviewed studies, youth samples, investigation of COVID-19 restrictions, and investigating changes and/or determinants of physical activity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Risk of bias was assessed using the checklist by Downs and Black. The search resulted in 1672 studies, of which 84 studies were included in the analysis. The results highlighted a decrease in physical activity during the pandemic, ranging between −10.8 min/day and −91 min/day. If an increase was detected, it related to unstructured and outdoor activities. The main determinants of children’s physical activity during the pandemic were age, gender, socioeconomic background, and the outdoor environment. The results imply that governments need to consider the negative effects that restrictive measures have on children’s physical activity and act to ensure high levels of physical activity.

Habitability, Resilience, and Satisfaction in Mexican Homes to COVID-19 Pandemic

Following the 2020 confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, housing has become the only safe place and this has exposed inequity in habitability. This research on the reality of confined households and the perception of their homes in the Mexican republic is based on a mixed participatory study, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The online questionnaire consisted of 58 questions in the quantitative approximation. The qualitative part required the provision of an image of the workspace, with testimonies and personal reflections. During the lockdown, all participants saw an increase in overall energy consumption; more than half reported not being in thermal comfort; and a third declared deficiencies in noise insulation. Regarding the perception of the telework/tele-study space, we found the following categories: bedrooms, living/dining rooms, studies and others. In addition, respondents had often adapted the workspace for both individual and shared use. In general, the households were satisfied with the size of their houses but would like landscaped spaces or better views outside. Confinement made housing the protective element against the pandemic. The consequences will have an effect globally, so new architectural design paradigms need to be rethought.