Readiness to Send Children Back to School in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Maternal Perception and Preferences

Abstract

Introduction: Whether children should go back to school amidst the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) menace, is currently a burning issue. The perception of parents on their children returning to school varies. This may be due to discrepancies in the learning methods available to the children at home, as well as the child’s exposure to the vices and abuse of the internet. Aim: To determine the maternal perception and preferences with regard to their readiness to send their children back to school in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study undertaken in a tertiary health institution in South East Nigeria. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select mothers who presented in the three units of children outpatient department in the hospital. A pre-tested intervieweradministered questionnaire was used to collect information from the respondents. Chi-square test and multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression were used in the analysis. The level of statistical significance was determined by a p-value of <0.05. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 40.1±12.3 years and the highest proportion (33.2%) were in the age group 30-39 years. Majority of them (78.5%) were married. Majority of the respondents (56.7%) were willing to allow children return to school. The major reason for not allowing children return to school was their distrust in the schools’ preventive measures (80.6%). Predictors of willingness of mothers to allow children return to school included being <30 years, {Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR)=0.3, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.2- 0.7}, being married, (AOR=0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.7) and having poor knowledge of preventive practices against COVID-19, (AOR=2.8, 95% CI: 1.7-4.8). Conclusion: Majority of mothers preferred that children should return to school. The younger age group and the married women were more likely to allow children go back to school. The respondents who had poor knowledge of preventive practices were also more eager that children should return to school.

Keywords

• nigeria
• parents perception
• predictors of willingness
• school attendance