Children’s Daily Activities and Well-being during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Associations with Child and Family Characteristics

Vitor H Oliveira,Paula C Martins,Graça S Carvalho

doi:10.1007/s12144-022-02759-y

Abstract

Learning, leisure, social, and movement activities are essential facets of children´s development affecting their physical, mental, and social well-being. During the first Covid-19 lockdown and post-lockdown period, children´s everyday lives were disrupted and altered in significant ways for an extended period, raising several concerns regarding its negative effects. This study investigated children´s daily activities during the lockdown and post-lockdown period, considering child and family factors that influenced their participation, and the effects of daily activities on child well-being. Cross-sectional data were collected during June and July 2020 from a sample of 3rd and 4th graders (n = 110) and their parents. Participants reported the intensity of children´s weekly participation in various learning, leisure, socializing, and movement activities, child and family characteristics, and child well-being outcomes. Findings indicate an overall pattern characterized by a higher prevalence of sedentary behaviors (screen time) and a lower prevalence of active leisure and playing activities, particularly among socioeconomically vulnerable children. Compared to boys, girls were less physically active but engaged more in play and social activities. In addition, sleep, active leisure, playing and learning activities, and family coping strategies were linked to better overall child well-being. These findings help identify promising avenues for effective intervention strategies, at the family and community levels, aimed at promoting child well-being and mitigating harm during the present and future crises.

Highlights

Current Psychology lessons for students which were complemented by teacherstutoring on digital platforms
These new routines presented many challenges to children and their families who had to cope with feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, and deal with heightened household tensions and other psychosocial stressors related to the ongoing health and social crisis
Regarding childrens participation in daily activities, our findings indicated a higher prevalence of sedentary behaviors and a lower prevalence of active leisure and playing activities

Summary

Introduction

Current Psychology lessons for students which were complemented by teacherstutoring on digital platforms. In the context of a health and social crisis, where childrens participation in society has been severely restricted, and familiescoping mechanisms have been seriously challenged, the risk for poorer physical and mental health outcomes increased (Fegert et al, 2020; Loades et al, 2020; Patrick et al, 2020; United Nations, 2020) These well-being risks may be linked to the exposure to pervasive psychosocial stressors and an increase in sedentary behaviors, a decrease of physical activity levels, adverse changes in sleep and daily routines, as well as a lower contact with stimulating play, learning, and socialization experiences (Bates et al, 2020; Dale et al, 2019; González et al, 2020; Moore et al, 2020; Pombo et al.,2021). This study aimed at 1) describing the intensity of childrens weekly participation in daily activities and their levels of engagement with those activities; 2) examining the differences in the intensity of weekly participation by gender, sociodemographic characteristics, and family adversity (socioeconomic change) and coping strategies (adaptation); and 3) investigating the associations between different types of daily activities and child well-being

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Discussion

Conclusion