Perceived changes in lifestyle behaviours and in mental health and wellbeing of elementary school children during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Canada

Abstract

Objectives The closure of schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19 prompted concerns of deteriorating lifestyle behaviours, mental health, and wellbeing of children, particularly those in socioeconomically disadvantaged settings. We assessed changes in lifestyle behaviours (physical activity, screen time, eating habits and bed/wake-up times), mental health and wellbeing during the first lockdown in Spring 2020 as perceived by school children from disadvantaged settings, and examined determinants of these changes. Study design Cross-sectional study. Methods We surveyed 1095 grade 4 to 6 students (age 9–12 years) from 20 schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in northern Canada. Students reported on changes in lifestyle behaviours, mental health and wellbeing during the lockdown. Determinants of these perceived changes were examined in multivariable regression models. Results A majority of students reported declines in physical activity, having late bed/wake-up times, and modest improvements in mental health and wellbeing. Many students reported increases rather than decreases in screen time and snacking. Positive attitudes toward being active, eating healthy, going to sleep on time and being healthy were strongly associated with maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviours during the lockdown. Positive attitudes toward active and healthy living and healthy lifestyle behaviours were associated with maintaining positive mental health and wellbeing during the lockdown. Conclusions The considerable changes in lifestyle behaviors, superimposed on the pre-existing burden of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, put this generation of children at increased risk for future chronic disease. Findings call for effective health promotion of active and healthy lifestyles to benefit both physical and mental health.

A comparison of sleep-wake patterns among school-age children and adolescents in Hong Kong before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…With later bedtime, longer sleep latency, later sleep onset and later sleep midpoints, this suggests a pattern of a rearward shift of sleep period during both school days and non-school days, even though only an increase in sleep latency survived correction for multiple comparisons. Our findings extended the current literature that children and adolescents not only had delayed sleep in the first months of the pandemic (18)(19) by demonstrating enduring changes in sleep-wake patterns over the first 15 months of COVID. It is not surprising that secondary school students are affected more than primary school students, as adolescents are more prone to insomnia and sleep phase delays than younger children (6)(9).…”

Dimensiones de los estilos de vida saludable durante el confinamiento por COVID-19 en población mexicana

“…Un estudio longitudinal mostró que el estilo de vida en general empeoró en los últimos siete meses después del bloque en España, y las variables asociadas fueron ser trabajador esencial, menor nivel educativo, enfermedad mental previa y peor salud autoevaluada, así como cambios en el sueño y la alimentación (Cervera-Martínez et al, 2021). En Canadá se evaluó los estilos de vida en niños de primaria, se encontró una disminución en la actividad física, tener horarios para dormir / despertarse tarde, así como un aumento en el tiempo frente a la pantalla y los refrigerios (Maximova et al, 2021). Un estudio sistémico encontró prevalencia de estrés psicosocial o mental, un aumento de peso y disminución de la actividad física, así como la cantidad y calidad de sueño (Rawat, Dixit, Gulati, Gulati y Gulati, 2021), la actividad física, el ejercicio, el tabaquismo y el consumo de alcohol, así como el IMC previo al bloqueo, fueron predictivos de cambios de peso durante el confinamiento en Alemania (Palmer, Bschaden y Stroebele-Benschop, 2021).…”

Relationship between vigorous physical activity and health care costs among adolescents: ABCD Growth Study

“…Moreover, there was sharp decline in MVPA during COVID-19 pandemic [ 16 ], reducing the amount of adolescents meeting the current physical activity recommendations [ 17 ]. Whether confirmed that higher physical activity leads to lower health care costs in adolescents, this relationship is even more concerning in a post-pandemic scenario in which a marked decline in MVPA [ 18 , 19 ] prove long-lasting after schools and athletic programs resume.…”