What is the health status of girls and boys in the COVID-19 pandemic? Selected results of the KIDA study

Background

It is well known that there are gender differences in the health behaviour and physical and mental health of children. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the health and lifestyles of children and adolescents by changing their living conditions. The present work investigates whether gender differences in selected health indicators are evident more than two years after the onset of the pandemic.

Methods

In the study Kindergesundheit in Deutschland aktuell (KIDA) (German Children's Health Update), cross-sectional telephone surveys were conducted with parents of 3- to 15-year-olds (n=3,478). Parental information on the general and mental health of the child, on increased need for health care and mental health services, as well as on physical activity and utilisation of sports activities were queried in standardised manner. Gender differences were assessed using Chi² tests.

Results

A total of 91% of the girls and 92% of the boys had their general health assessed as being (very) good by their parents (difference not significant, n.s.). An increased need for care and support was indicated for 10.6% of the 3- to 15-year-olds (girls: 9%, boys: 12%, n.s.). Boys met the physical activity recommendations of the WHO significantly more often (60%) than girls (54%). Good to excellent mental health was reported for 93% of both boys and girls. When changes during the pandemic were reported, no differences were found in the responses for girls compared to boys.

Conclusions

Gender differences were found for individual parameters and age groups. These differences must be assessed in the context of other social determinants of health, and need to be considered when planning preventive measures.

German Health Update (GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS) - Background and methodology

Between April 2019 and September 2020, 23,001 people aged 15 or over responded to questions about their health and living conditions for the German Health Update (GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS). The results are representative of the German resident population aged 15 or above. The response rate was 21.6%. The study used a questionnaire based on the third wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), which was carried out in all EU member states. EHIS consists of four modules on health status, health care provision, health determinants, and socioeconomic variables. The data are collected in a harmonised manner and therefore have a high degree of international comparability. They constitute an important source of information for European health policy and health reporting and are made available by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat). They also form the basis of the Federal Health Reporting undertaken in Germany. Data collection began in April 2019, just under a year before the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and continued into its initial phase, as of March 2020. As such, data from the current GEDA wave can also be used to conduct research into the health impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.