Impact of the COVID-19 virus outbreak on movement and play behaviours of Canadian children and youth: a national survey

Background
Healthy childhood development is fostered through sufficient physical activity (PA; including time outdoors), limiting sedentary behaviours (SB), and adequate sleep; collectively known as movement behaviours. Though the COVID-19 virus outbreak has changed the daily lives of children and youth, it is unknown to what extent related restrictions may compromise the ability to play and meet movement behaviour recommendations. This secondary data analysis examined the immediate impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on movement and play behaviours in children and youth.
Methods
A national sample of Canadian parents (n = 1472) of children (5–11 years) or youth (12–17 years) (54% girls) completed an online survey that assessed immediate changes in child movement and play behaviours during the COVID-19 outbreak. Behaviours included PA and play, SB, and sleep. Family demographics and parental factors that may influence movement behaviours were assessed. Correlations between behaviours and demographic and parental factors were determined. For open-ended questions, word frequency distributions were reported.
Results
Only 4.8% (2.8% girls, 6.5% boys) of children and 0.6% (0.8% girls, 0.5% boys) of youth were meeting combined movement behaviour guidelines during COVID-19 restrictions. Children and youth had lower PA levels, less outside time, higher SB (including leisure screen time), and more sleep during the outbreak. Parental encouragement and support, parental engagement in PA, and family dog ownership were positively associated with healthy movement behaviours. Although families spent less time in PA and more time in SB, several parents reported adopting new hobbies or accessing new resources.
Conclusions
This study provides evidence of immediate collateral consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak, demonstrating an adverse impact on the movement and play behaviours of Canadian children and youth. These findings can guide efforts to preserve and promote child health during the COVID-19 outbreak and crisis recovery period, and to inform strategies to mitigate potential harm during future pandemics.
Introduction
Healthy movement behaviours contribute to the physical and mental health of children and youth [1] including a more robust immune system [2]. The evidence of movement behaviours for healthy growth and development is sufficiently compelling that many countries, including Canada [3], and the World Health Organization (WHO) [4] have released 24-h integrated movement behaviour guidelines for children and youth. These guidelines recommend age-specific physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep thresholds for school-aged children and youth [3]. Children and youth who meet movement recommendations have better cardiometabolic, musculoskeletal, cognitive, and mental health, and immune function compared with their less active peers [1,2,3,4]. Despite the evidence indicating the benefits of increased physical activity, reduced sedentary behaviours, and adequate sleep, the prevalence of Canadian children and youth meeting the 24-h movement recommendations was recently reported to be only 12.7% [5]. Notwithstanding the notion that indoor physical activity can contribute to overall levels, the additional benefits of playing outside [6] and in nature are clear [7]. Spending time outside and in nature provides a critical venue for healthy movement behaviours, permitting children and youth to accumulate more daily physical activity, less sedentary behaviour, and sleep better [6].
On March 11, 2020, the WHO characterized the COVID-19 virus outbreak as a global pandemic [8]. COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus which can result in acute respiratory distress in humans and is transmitted through respiratory droplets and contact routes [9]. Current estimates suggest a 1–2% case fatality rate, which varies by age and health of the patient [10]. Though healthy children and youth are less vulnerable to COVID-19 [11], there remains genuine concern about transmission of the virus, especially the spread to older people and those with underlying medical conditions. Consequently, the COVID-19 virus outbreak has led to significant changes in daily life for children, youth, and their families, with specific recommendations and restrictions varying within and between countries. Like many countries, Canada imposed restrictions requiring physical distancing (two metres), and limited community and social gatherings and interactions, sport, and playground and park use [12]. Most children and youth are no longer attending school, with classroom lessons replaced by home-schooling and online learning activities. During the initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak and recommendations for physical distancing, behaviour restrictions, and overall instructions to ‘stay home’, families are seeking guidance and solutions to preserve healthy routines, including healthy movement behaviours and opportunities to spend time outdoors [13, 14].
Although differences exist in the number of COVID-19 cases across geographic jurisdictions [15], preliminary data demonstrate that Canada is moving towards ‘flattening the curve’. [16] Federal and provincial politicians and Medical Officers of Health have continued to encourage Canadian families to get active and outdoors [17]. Yet, how the ‘stay home’ versus ‘get active and outdoors’ paradox is interpreted is unknown. Like the number of cases, COVID-19 restrictions and recommendations vary between jurisdictions [15]. It is timely to assess whether COVID-19 and related behavioural requirements have impacted the movement and play behaviours of Canadian children and youth, and to identify strategies that families are taking to stay healthy during this pandemic. Accordingly, the purpose of this secondary data analysis was to provide a rapid and large-scale assessment of the immediate changes in physical activity, play, sedentary behaviours, leisure screen time, and sleep in children and youth across Canada during the initial period of the COVID-19 crisis. We anticipate these finding will inform efforts to preserve and promote child health behaviours and establish priorities for post-COVID-19 public health initiatives.
Source: ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com