Abstract
Social learning experiences developed through engagement in community cultural activities can affect a child’s development. Few studies have examined how children’s engagement in community activities is related to their mental health. This study aimed to examine associations between children’s participation in community cultural activities and their mental health. We targeted all sixth-grade children in all 69 primary schools in Adachi City, Tokyo, using the Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (A-CHILD) study (n = 4391). Parents answered the validated Japanese version of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to assess child mental health, the child’s engagement in community cultural activities. The community activity in which children most frequently participated was local festivals. Participating in local festivals was significantly associated with lower behavioral difficulties (β = −0.49, SE = 0.17, p = 0.005) and higher prosocial behaviors (β = 0.25, SE = 0.07, p < 0.001) after adjusting for demographic variables, family social capital, and parent-child interactions. These results highlight the importance of children’s engagement in community cultural activities for their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
To our knowledge, the impact of cultural engagement has mostly been studied in adults and the aging population [10], while no study has yet investigated the impact on child mental health
This study aimed to examine the association between community engagement and child mental health among Japanese children during the COVID-19 pandemic after adjusting for parent-child relationship-related factors
The community cultural activity in which children participated most frequently was local festivals in the neighborhood (53.0%), followed by seasonal events organized by child associations and neighborhood associations (24.9%)
Summary
Some community activities can boost social capital [6,7], including community cultural activities, which are considered one of the most promising events for doing so because engagement is beneficial for reducing the risk of depression or anxiety among older adults [8]. This may be because participating in local festivals, which highlight shared local values and culture, is related to higher subjective wellbeing [9]. To our knowledge, the impact of cultural engagement has mostly been studied in adults and the aging population [10], while no study has yet investigated the impact on child mental health
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