WCM-Q research examines the effects of school closures on children’s health

June 28, 2021 – 9:03 AM

The authors of the research.

Doha: Weill researchers at the Institute of Population Health (IPH) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) studied the impact of COVID-19 school closures on the mental and physical health of children and teenagers.

Researchers found that school closures and home quarantine were associated with increased stress, sadness, frustration, indiscipline, loneliness, sleep disturbances, and hyperactivity. young people and a break from daily routines. In addition, the researchers observed a significant 45% decrease in hospital admissions and 68% in pediatric emergency room visits for common conditions like gastroenteritis, respiratory infections and ear conditions (infections ).

The study, titled “The Impact of COVID-19 School Closures on Child and Adolescent Health: A Rapid Systematic Review,” also noted reduced daily physical activity, increased risk of obesity infant and higher body mass index (BMI) scores. The study was a rapid systematic review that analyzed data from ten studies on child and adolescent health conducted in the United States, Japan, France, Italy, Thailand and Turkey. The study was published in Children, a leading journal.

Another key finding of the study was the loss of students’ access to the usual essential services provided by schools. These included school health services, programs for children with disabilities, and school and daycare nutrition programs for disadvantaged children.

The study also identified an increased risk of worsening educational disparities caused by parents in poorer households, who have less time and resources to facilitate distance learning during school closings. Although sleep patterns were found to be altered, the quality of sleep of children and youth did not appear to be adversely affected by the school closures. Suicide rates in children and adolescents were not affected.

The authors of the research are Dr. Ravinder Mamtani, Associate Dean for Student Affairs-Admissions, Population Health and Lifestyle Medicine; Dr Sohaila Cheema, Deputy Dean of IPH; Dr Sathya Doraiswamy, Deputy Director of IPH; Dr Karima Chaabna, lecturer in population health sciences at PSI, and Dr Sonia Chaabane.

The study concluded that more research is needed to assess the impact on health, social development and the ability of children and adolescents to learn during school closures linked to the pandemic. In particular, the authors recommended investigating key indicators of quality of life, such as lifestyle habits, cognitive development, social interactions (including use of social media), screen time and the time spent studying. The authors also suggested that public health authorities design personalized benefit and risk assessment studies, taking into account the local socio-economic context, the school system and the availability of health resources.