Abstract
BackgroundThe year 2020 will be remembered as the “year of the COVID-19 pandemic”. The world population had to familiarize themselves with words as swabs, personal protective equipment, pandemic. To curb the wave of the pandemic, almost all the countries imposed self-isolation and social distancing. We conducted a web-based survey to investigate the behavioural responses during the quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsParticipants were 1860 youth aged 12–18 years attending lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, lifestyle changes during the quarantine period, and the psychological impact of the lock-down on adolescents’ life.ResultsMost adolescents experienced feelings of fear, discouragement, and anxiety which strongly affected the approach to their daily lifestyles. Most of the surveyed subjects reported having used this period to acquire new skills and to practice physical activities at home. The use of technology was predominant both for recreational activities and educational purposes.ConclusionsDespite the strong psychological impact of the quarantine, adolescents showed good levels of resilience. Technology played a crucial role during the quarantine for young subjects who have increased the daily use of technological devices to stay connected with the rest of the world.
Highlights
The year 2020 will be remembered as the “year of the COVID-19 pandemic”
This study aimed to investigate the behavioural responses during the quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic in a large cohort of Italian adolescents
The questionnaire included seventeen questions focusing on demographic characteristics, lifestyle changes during the quarantine period
Summary
The year 2020 will be remembered as the “year of the COVID-19 pandemic”. The world population had to familiarize themselves with words as swabs, personal protective equipment, pandemic. To curb the wave of the pandemic, almost all the countries undertook containment strategies In most cases, these measures resulted in strict governmental decrees that imposed self-isolation and social distancing, the socalled quarantine or “lock-down” period [2]. Which was one of the most affected countries by disease in Europe, set to quarantine the entire country from March 9th to May 3rd, 2020 for a total of 55 days. These restrictive strategies led to a gradual and constant reduction of new cases of infection [3,4,5].
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