Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease, first reported by the Municipal Health Commission in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and later confirmed as a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020.
Co-infection control measures such as isolation and social distancing may have a unique impact on children’s physical and mental health.
New research reveals concerns about children’s health and fitness changes after the pandemic.
With COVID-19 reaching record levels in the UK, health experts are calling for a focus on children’s fitness.
The research was conducted by the University of Newcastle (UK), University of South Australia, Edinburgh Napier University and Murdoch University. The study assessed one-year changes in children’s fitness and health-related quality of life, and body mass index (BMI), following the UK’s 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.
Children’s fitness levels are important independent indicators of health outcomes, including cardiovascular and skeletal health, obesity, and mental well-being. Health-related quality of life is a complex and subjective view of the physical, social, and emotional well-being associated with an individual’s state of health.
Study results: Regarding health data
The researchers found that for children aged 8-10 years:
- 51 percent of children were rated “unfit” (compared to 35 percent in baseline)
- 47 percent of children were overweight or obese (compared to 33 percent at baseline)
- The children’s body mass increased by an average of 6.8 kg, twice the amount expected in this time period.
UniSA researcher Dr. Naomi Byrne says the study highlights the vital importance of physical fitness to children’s health and well-being after the pandemic.
“When COVID-19 hit the UK in 2020, infection control measures led to school closures for most students; stadiums and outdoor sports clubs closed, and for many months outdoor exercise was restricted to just one hour a day.
“These unprecedented restrictions have had a clear impact on children’s physical and mental health, with nearly half of children appearing to be obese and more than half classified as unfit.
“While the pandemic continues, we need to recognize the need to keep children healthy and active. Not only will this benefit them now, but it will also benefit them later in life.
Right now, we need governments, schools, and communities to create programs and policies that can support participation in sports and physical activities. This is vital to the recovery of children’s health after the lockdown and in the event of future restrictions.”
Study limitations:
- Relatively small sample size due to COVID-19 protocols
- Most of the children were from a white ethnic background, from a disadvantaged area, so the researchers were unable to generalize to less disadvantaged populations or other races.
- The researchers were unable to attribute adverse changes in 20mSRT performance and BMI directly to the shutdowns due to the lack of a comparison group.
“The importance of sport, physical activity and fitness for recovery from the COVID-19 lockdowns must be recognized together, with acceleration programs to increase participation and policies in place to support continued activity and participation, both now and in the future. Restrictions are required.” The study concludes.
magazine reference
- Laura Busterfield, Naomi L. Byrne, Brooke Galna, Hannah Patten, Louis Goff, Goda Caroblet, Matt Lawn and Catherine L. Weston (2022) Changes in children’s fitness, body mass index and health-related quality of life after the first COVID-19 lockdown of 2020 in England : Longitudinal Study, Journal of Mathematical Sciences, 40:10, 1088-1096, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2022.2047504
