Dataset Information

Impact of school closures on the health and well-being of primary school children in Wales UK: a routine data linkage study using the HAPPEN Survey (2018-2020).

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the relationship between initial school closures and children's health by comparing health and well-being outcomes collected during school closures (April-June 2020) via HAPPEN (the Health and Attainment of Pupils in a Primary Education Network) with data from the same period in 2019 and 2018 via the HAPPEN Survey.

Setting

The study was conducted online with 161 primary schools across Wales involved in the 'HAPPEN At Home' Survey.

Participants

Data were collected via the 'HAPPEN At Home' Survey capturing the typical health behaviours of children aged 8-11 years from 1333 participants across Wales. These data were compared with data in 2018 and 2019 also collected between April and June, from HAPPEN (2019 (n=1150) and 2018 (n=475)).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcomes included validated measures of physical activity, screen time, diet and dental health, as well as well-being, competency and autonomy. Free school meal (FSM) status was used as a proxy for socioeconomic deprivation. Analyses were repeated stratifying by FSM.

Results

Comparing responses between April-June in 2020 (n=1068), 2019 (n=1150) and 2018 (n=475), there were improvements in physical activity levels, sleep time, happiness and general well-being for children during school closures compared with previous years. However, children on FSM ate fewer fruits and vegetables (21% less at five or more portions of fruits and vegetables (95% CI: 5.7% to 37%)) and had lower self-assessed school competence compared with 2019. Compared with those not on FSM, they also spent less time doing physical activity (13.03%, 95% CI: 3.3% to 21.7%) and consumed more takeaways (16.3%, 95% CI: 2% to 30%) during school closures.

Conclusions

This study suggests that schools are important in reducing inequalities in physical health. The physical health (eg, physical activity and diet) of children eligible for FSM may be affected by prolonged school closures.

SUBMITTER: James M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8503919 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic does not affected only physical but also mental health and socioeconomic part. The social distancing, social quarantine, school from home, and work from becomes a new normal these days. Being adolescence, the above conditions may be challenging due to their developmental milestones. Therefore, this brief report aimed to preliminary identify proportion of adolescents' emotional and behavior problems and several factors related to it during COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. The findings might raise some understanding of youth mental well-being and programs that can be applied in schools and community in general to overcome the issues. The study was designed as cross sectional and used online survey that started on April 2020. During April 15-May 10, 2020, there were 113 adolescents participated on this survey. Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) 11-17 years old was used to assess adolescent emotional and behavior problems; and specific life experience questionnaire was designed to collect other independents variables (Cronbach's α = 0.75). All participants fulfilled the online informed consent before they started to complete the questionnaire. All data was analyzed by using SPSS version 20 for Mac. The average age of research subjects were 14.07 (2.18) years old; 98.2% was school from home. There was 14.2% of the total research subject at risk on total difficulties problems; 38.1% of adolescent was at risk on peer-relationship problems, 28.3% at risk on pro-social behavior problems, 15% at risk on conduct behavior and 10.6% at risk on emotional problems. The number of adolescent that perceived worse to significantly worse self-mental well-being prior COVID-19 increased during COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia (p < 0.05). There was significantly association between having mental health information and conduct behavior (OR = 10.34, 95%CI = 1.27-78.86); Subjective anxiety due to COVID-19 pandemic and pro-social behavior problems (OR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.00-5.63), parental support and total difficulties (OR = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.14-0.60) and pro-social behavior problems (OR = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.01-0.82); friends support during COVID-19 pandemic and conduct behavior (OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.04-1.00) and pro-social behavior problems (OR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.02-0.75). To be concluded, during phase 1 and 2 COVID-19 pandemic and school closures in Indonesia, adolescents were at risk for having emotional and behavior problems. Therefore, maintain clear mental health information, keep them on connection with school by designing an optimal tele-education, tele-consultation, and virtual activity programs to accommodate adolescents' biopsychosocial needs in the near future.

Project description:ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine parents' and school-aged children's mental well-being after experiencing confinement and prolonged school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignUsing a cross-sectional design, an online survey was applied to parents of school-aged children inquiring about their mental well-being and COVID-19 pandemic changes in their home and working lives. To assess the presence of depression, anxiety and stress in parents, the participants responded to the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 scale. To assess psychosocial dysfunction and sleep disturbances in children, participants responded to the Pediatric Symptom Checklist and the Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire.ResultsA total of 209 parents answered the questionnaire, most of them were female (87.1%) with a mean age of 40 years. The prevalence of anxiety, stress and parental depression symptoms were 35.9%, 28.2% and 25.4%, respectively. Children's mean age was 8.9 years, the prevalence of children's psychosocial dysfunction was 12%, while their sleep disturbance symptoms were 59.8%. 10.5% of children were suffering both outcomes. We found a bidirectional relationship between parents' and children's mental health outcomes. Parental depression symptoms were associated with experiencing COVID-19 infection within the household, having children with pre-existing medical diagnoses, children's psychosocial dysfunction and sleep disturbances. Children's psychosocial dysfunction was associated with parental depression and changes in their school routine. Children's sleep disturbances were associated with parental anxiety, younger age, increased use of electronic devices, night-time awakenings and shorter sleep time.ConclusionOur results support the impact of long confinement and school closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexican children and parents' mental well-being. We advocate for specific mental health interventions tailored to respond to parents and children at risk of mental well-being distress.

Project description:BackgroundCovid-19 related school closures radically disrupted children's access to social and educational opportunities and changed daily life for millions of families across the world. Emerging evidence indicates that, overall, closures were associated with a decline in children's mental health and well-being, although individual experiences varied widely. The extent to which primary schools adapted remote well-being support is likely to have contributed to child and family adjustment, although this has not yet been fully explored in Covid related research.MethodsThis longitudinal qualitative study examines variability in remote well-being provision in primary schools during the pandemic, and following school reopening, from the perspective of mothers and children using a whole school approaches framework. Twenty-one primary school aged children and their mothers took part in a semi-structured interview at two time points: time one during the first UK national lockdown and time two approximately seven months later after most children had returned to school. A hybrid inductive-deductive thematic analysis approach identified key themes relating to trajectories of well-being and remote school approaches over this period.ResultsSchool closures were associated with a decline in well-being for most children. Disrupted contact with friends and teachers, and limited opportunities for enriched, meaningful activity were identified as key risk factors. Protective factors included family and child characteristics that mitigated against the loss of wider systems of support, including family socioeconomic status, parental availability, child temperament, and structured daily routines. Four key dimensions of effective remote well-being provision were identified (the 4Cs). The 4Cs - contact, content, creativity and community - provide an accessible framework for schools to foster children's social relationships and sense of belonging during periods of closure. Analysis of pupil reintegration outcomes suggest that post-Covid support priorities should include extending social and play-based universal interventions in schools.ConclusionRemote well-being support for children during Covid-related school closures varied in quality with implications for children's mental health and well-being. Findings from this study highlight the importance of ongoing social contact and enriched daily activities to protect children's well-being and development and present a framework of effective remote wellbeing support for primary schools in the event of future closures or prolonged pupil absence.

Project description:This research is part of the last study Drugs and School IX developed in the Basque Country (Spain) by the Instituto Deusto de Drogodependencias (Deusto Institute of Drug Addiction) of the University of Deusto (The study had the support of the Public Health and Addictions Directorate of the Deputy Health Ministry from the Health Department of the Basque Country.) and the data gathered by means of cluster sampling in two stages. The sample is made up of N = 6,007 girls and boys ranging from 12 to 22 years of age in secondary education, and the aims, on the basis of those parameters, are as follows: (1) describe the reality of drug consumption and some psychosocial variables in this sample, as well as analyze several relations between variables; (2) analyze the role of school well-being (SWB), self-esteem, and self-concept regarding consumption; (3) take a close look at the moderating role of age and gender on the relationship of school well-being, self-concept, and self-esteem with consumption; and (4) understand the existing interaction between all these variables, by studying the moderating role of self-esteem and self-concept in the influence of school well-being on consumption. With the use of a correlation, hierarchical regression, and mediation analysis with SPSS (v. 26) and Amos (v. 26) applications, three main conclusions were reached. Firstly, educational and academic well-being, academic self-concept, and self-esteem seem to play the role of protecting factors in adolescence, whereas assertiveness is linked to a higher consumption level. Secondly, academic self-concept has a mediating effect between well-being and consumption. Some of these relations are moderated by the variables of gender and age. Thirdly, age and gender are very relevant sociodemographic variables that must be taken into account in order to understand this phenomenon. Age has shown its covariant effect, which is especially relevant in the influence of academic well-being measured as being held back years. It has also proved to be important in order to understand its experiential or experimental and transitory character. Moreover, significant differences in consumptions have been found based on gender.