Характеристика поведінкових факторів дітей та підлітків україни в умовах впровадження карантинних заходів під час пандемії COVID-19

Abstract

For the effective and safe implementation of quarantine measures for the prevention of infectious diseases, it is necessary to a create the conditions for the maintenance of physical and mental health of the population, especially of the children and adolescents, the most vulnerable part of it. The monitoring of quarantine conditions, as well as a lifestyle of children with the identification of possible negative factors affecting the health of schoolchildren, is a prerequisite of it. Objective: We assessed the living conditions of school-age children during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Materials and methods: We analyzed the results of the online survey of the parents of 920 children and adolescents from all regions of Ukraine (497 boys and 432 girls). All respondents signed informed consent. Data were collected from April 17 to June 5, 2020. We applied STATISTICA 8.0 for statistical analysis. Results: Only (59.4±1.7)% of urban and (33.1±4.3)% of rural families with school-age children adhered to quarantine rules (p<0.001). The probability of the deviation from the quarantine rules is 1.7 times higher in rural regions than in urban ones (RR=1.65; CI 1.42-1.92; p<0.001), and 1.4 times higher in the parents with secondary education than in the parents with higher education (RR = 1.41; CI 1.22-1.62; p<0.001). (25.0±1.4)% of school-age children were determined not to leave their homes during the lockdown. About 60% of school-age children went for a walk 1-7 times a week (10-60 min/day). Proportion of children and adolescents with walk duration of more than 60 min/day with a frequency of 5-7 times a week during quarantine made up only (10.3±1.0)%, while before quarantine - 48.5%. Conclusions: Revealed trends demonstrate a need for the development and promotion of the measures for the rise of the population awareness on the importance of compliance with quarantine rules, taking into account demographic and social characteristics. It is necessary to develop ways to achieve optimal duration of outdoor walk for children.