The impact of COVID-19 on behavioral and emotional wellbeing of children 5 to 12 years in Kuwait: a cross sectional study
Description
This study assessed behavioral and emotional patterns in Kuwaiti children during COVID-19 lockdowns and the parents' coping strategies. This we-based cross-sectional study was conducted with the parents of Kuwaiti children between the ages of 5 and 12. A total of 292 parents responded (52.1% male, 47.9% female). Parents reported that for those children with screen time of 120 to 180 minutes daily, the screen time increased from 7.3% before the pandemic to 16.7% during lockdowns. Shorter-duration physical activity increased, while longer-duration physical activity decreased by half during the pandemic. Physical activity before lockdowns for the category of 60-120 minutes was 13.6% for males and 12.3% for females (P value 0.021), while during lockdowns it decreased to 5.8% for males and 7.5% for females (P value <0.000). Also, there was an increase in consumption of snacks like chips and chocolate (27.4%). About 64% of the parents said that their children had sleeping disturbances such as frequent awakenings (34.3%), sleeping less than normal (32.5%), and being afraid to sleep alone (52.4%). Findings suggest that COVID-19 lockdowns had a moderate impact on the behaviors of children in Kuwait.