Abstract
COVID-19 public health protocols have altered children’s daily routines, limiting their physical activity opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected children’s (ages 10–12 years) physical activity and screen time, and to explore the impact of gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and public health constraints (i.e., facility use and social interaction) on the changes in children’s health behaviors. Online surveys were disseminated to parents at two time points: before COVID-19 (May 2019 to February 2020) and during COVID-19 (November to December 2020). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to assess changes in physical activity and screen time, and for subgroup analyses. Parents (n = 95) reported declines in children’s physical activity (Z = −2.53, p = 0.01, d = 0.18), and increases in weekday (Z = −4.61, p < 0.01, d = 0.33) and weekend screen time (Z = −3.79, p < 0.01, d = 0.27). Significant changes in physical activity and screen time behaviors were identified between gender, SES, and facility use groups. All social interaction groups underwent significant changes in screen time. Overall, COVID-19 protocols have negatively influenced children’s physical activity and screen time. Due to the negative consequences of inactivity and excessive screen time, resources must be made available to support families during the pandemic.
Highlights
Three participants were excluded due to incomplete data, resulting in 95 parent responses included in the study
When asked to compare their child’s current health behaviors to before COVID-19, parents reported that their child had immediate declines in all forms of physical activity and an increase in recreational screen time, primarily social media use [26]
The findings from this study provide context into how the COVID-19 protocols have negatively influenced children’s movement behaviors as children are engaging in less physical activity and more screen-based activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
In March 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the SARS-Cov-2. (COVID-19) virus a global pandemic due to the transmission rate and the severity of the disease [1]. Policies and regulations, such as physical distancing, limited gathering sizes, and stay-at-home orders, have been enacted [2]. While these protocols protect the community against viral transmission, the introduction of restrictive public health protocols has substantially altered children’s everyday activities. The mandated closure of schools and community centers and gathering restrictions have resulted in
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