Exploring changes in children’s well-being due to COVID-19 restrictions: the Italian EpaS-ISS study

• Published in: Italian journal of pediatrics Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 1 - 11
• Main Authors: Giustini, Marco, Luzi, Ilaria, Spinelli, Angela, Andreozzi, Silvia, Bucciarelli, Mauro, Buoncristiano, Marta, Nardone, Paola, Ciardullo, Silvia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pisa BioMed Central 13-09-2023; BMC
• Subjects: Children; Children & youth; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Data collection; Epidemics; Families & family life; Family structure; Gender; Health behavior; Likert scale; Pandemics; Parents & parenting; Post traumatic stress disorder; Primary school; Quarantine; Questionnaires; School closures; Sports facilities; Statistical analysis; Stay at home orders; Well-being; Italy
• ISSN: 1824-7288; 1720-8424; 1824-7288
• DOI: 10.1186/s13052-023-01521-9

BackgroundWhile existing research has explored changes in health behaviours among adults and adolescents due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the impact of quarantine on young children’s well-being is still less clear. Moreover, most of the published studies were carried out on small and non-representative samples. The aim of the EpaS-ISS study was to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the habits and behaviours of a representative sample of school children aged mainly 8–9 years and their families living in Italy, exploring the changes in children’s well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the immediately preceding time period.MethodsData were collected using a web questionnaire. The target population was parents of children attending third-grade primary schools and living in Italy. A cluster sample design was adopted. A Well-Being Score (WBS) was calculated by summing the scores from 10 items concerning the children’s well-being. Associations between WBS and socio-demographic variables and other variables were analysed.ResultsA total of 4863 families participated. The children’s WBS decreased during COVID-19 (median value from 31 to 25; p = 0.000). The most statistically significant variables related to a worsening children’s WBS were: time of school closure, female gender, living in a house with only a small and unliveable outdoor area, high parents’ educational level and worsening financial situation.ConclusionsAccording to parents ' perception, changes in daily routine during COVID-19 negatively affected children’s well-being. This study has identified some personal and contextual variables associated with the worsening of children’s WBS, which should be considered in case of similar events.