Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on lifestyle behaviours among children living in urban Mysuru - A cross sectional study

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: Getting enough exercise, preventing a sedentary lifestyle, and getting enough sleep all work together to promote healthy childhood growth. Although the COVID-19 outbreak affected children’s day-to-day lives, it is unclear how much it may have impacted their development. Therefore, this study aims to gather information regarding the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on parents and their children. Methods: A cross-sectional, online-based survey questionnaire was given to 71 parents aged 21 and above with children aged between three and five, residing in Mysuru. The paired t-test, McNemar’s and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to check associations between the selected variables and lockdown-related changes. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was a large increase in the consumption of homemade food (90.1%), self-feeding (34.3%) and an improvement in the household practices of cooking, storing, and feeding (95.8%) during the lockdown period. 56.3% of the parents were able to get their children more engaged in physical activities. The time that parents spent with their children increased during the lockdown period. Screen time and sleep duration also increased during the lockdown, which showed statistical significance. Discussion: Short-term changes in children’s lifestyle habits in response to COVID-19 are concerning because they may raise their risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Initiatives to improve physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in children are needed to prevent long-term health issues.

Keywords

• COVID-19. Children. Physical activity. Sedentary lifestyle. Screen time.