Cardiff University study reveals negative impact of COVID on children's mental well being

Children in the United Kingdom ate fewer vegetables, exercised less, and suffered greater emotional troubles as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, reports a research done by Cardiff university. According to a biennial survey done by Cardiff University researchers, primary school-age children reported a considerable increase in elevated or clinically significant emotional issues in early 2021, compared to the same survey conducted in 2019. The poll, conducted between April and June, discovered that 27% of children in year 6 had substantial emotional challenges, compared to only 17% in 2019, with minimal change in behavioural difficulties. 

Children from lower-income families were nearly twice as likely as those from higher-income families to report emotional and behavioural problems. Based on evidence from previous worldwide studies, Kelly Morgan, a social science research fellow at Cardiff, believes the pandemic will leave a lifelong impression on the mental health of children as they grow older. Based on the findings of COVID-19 study, children and their families were severely impacted during the pandemic, Morgan added in the report. We know that at times, it was prohibited for children to play with other children, but we also know that youngsters were extremely worried about the health of their family and others, Morgan was quoted as saying in the report.

COVID-19 impact on children

The report emphasised the critical role that schools played during and after the pandemic. 90% of the children polled claimed their teachers cared for them, and 80% indicated there was at least one adult in school with whom they could chat. Prof Graham Moore, who conducted the study, which was financed by the Welsh government,said it demonstrated that good relationships between teachers and their students were preserved. These ties were consistently strong among the children examined, highlighting the critical role that educators played for young people during the pandemic, he added. The study analysed data from 1,863 children in 76 schools.

It's possible that if teachers and support workers hadn't done such an excellent job of engaging with their students in this way, we'd be dealing with an even worse mental health problem among our youngsters, Moore remarked. The study found that the 10- and 11-year-olds polled were consistently less healthy in terms of nutrition and exercise during the epidemic than in previous years. The number of youngsters consuming daily amounts of vegetables fell from 52% in 2019 to 41% in 2021, while those eating fruit every day fell from 59% to 47%.

Vegetable consumption remains more popular among middle- and upper-income families. The poll indicated that although 52% of children from upper-income households consumed vegetables on a daily basis, just 35% of children from low-income households did so. Morgan believes that the 18-month disturbance to family patterns may have made it difficult for parents to buy and store perishable meals like fresh vegetables on a regular basis. On top of that, many youngsters relied on schools for breakfast and lunch, which could account for some of the reduction in fruit and vegetable consumption, he noted.

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