A study on the health status of adolescent school students in North Kerala during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Abstract

Introduction: During the initial phase of COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the schools and educational institutions were closed countrywide. Hence, more than 90% of students admitted to educational institutions worldwide are affected as 188 countries have implemented COVID restrictions. Hence, this study focuses on the health status of adolescent students during the shutdown of educational institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim and Objective: This study assesses mental health, dental health, eye health, physical activity, immunization, and nutrition in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescent boys and girls. Materials and Methods: The current cross-sectional study was done among school-going adolescent children. One hundred and eighty students from different syllabus systems and urban and rural parts of north Kerala participated. The data collected were entered into an excel sheet and analyzed using the SPSS software. Results: 59.4% of students have gained weight due to sedentary behaviour. Students spend more time in front (95%) of a digital screen, leading to computer vision syndrome. Loss of social interactions adversely affected students' mental health by 37.8%. Thirty percentage of physically active students were involved in indoor physical activities such as Zumba and aerobics. In addition, 77% of students have not taken their routine immunization. Conclusion: The newer learning methods have impacted the students' knowledge. There is no uniformity in the form of teaching. Multiple factors have played a role in improving the lockdown situation, including the families, schools, local authorities, government, digital media, and newspapers.

Keywords

• academic performance
• adolescent health
• behavioral health
• covid-19
• digital eye strain
• home-based comprehensive health assessment tool
• mental health
• physical activity
• school health
• weight gain