A new national survey has found that parents are concerned about the impact of the pandemic on their children. The top three concerns were about how much time children spent on screens and social media, if their child was being bullied or cyberbullied, and if the child could be in danger while online.
“That says a lot about how parents feel overwhelmed and about how little they trust all the technologies in their children’s lives to support their well-being,” said Dr. Jenny Radesky, assistant professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Medicine CS Mott of Michigan. , who did not participate in the study.
Increased unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity among children, along with concerns about racism, depression and suicide risk were also major concerns for parents of children ages 0-18. the survey of more than 2,000 parents published Monday by CS Children’s Hospital of Michigan Medicine.
Ten other major concerns among parents were worrying about their child’s stress and anxiety and worrying about whether their child was smoking, smoking, drinking, or using drugs.
“Parents’ biggest concerns for young people appear to be associated with lifestyle changes as a result of the pandemic, ”said Dr. Gary Freed, pediatrician and study author, co-director of the National Survey Mott on child health in a statement.
“COVID-19 has turned the world of our children and adolescents upside down in many ways and this is reflected in how parents value health issues by 2020,” he added.
Ethnic differences
The top ten health concerns for children during 2020 differed based on the ethnic or racial background of the parents, according to the survey.
Black parents valued racism as their main concern for the health of children and adolescents, with Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, ranking second. Hispanic parents ranked racism sixth on their to-do list among the top ten and ranked the virus eighth. However, neither racism nor the virus became the top ten concerns of white parents, who were more concerned about online use and abuse.
“Differences in parents’ concern about race and ethnicity are so significant, ”Radesky said. “I also feel sorry for the black and Hispanic families I work with: they are much more concerned about family members getting sick from Covid-19 and therefore cannot tolerate the risks of certain children’s activities (e.g. play date) pods, face-to-face therapies or back to face-to-face schooling, with which white parents feel comfortable.
“This is a perfect example of white families needing to understand the structural barriers faced by families of color and not assume that fears and risks are evenly distributed among families,” Radesky added.
The high levels of concern about the virus among black and Hispanic communities are likely due to higher rates of Covid-19 infections in those communities compared to the general population, according to the survey.
“Children who have lost family members due to COVID-19 may need special care and mental health services to help them understand and cope with their loss,” Freed said in a statement.
Research has shown that children targeted by racism have higher rates of depression, anxiety and behavior problems, according to the report.
Mental and physical concerns
The unhealthy diet of their children during the year ranked fourth for black and white parents, but did not rank in the top ten for Hispanic parents.
Social isolation and routine changes due to the impact of the virus can affect children’s physical and mental health, and parents may notice changes, “such as increased behavioral problems in younger or more moody children or lethargy in older children and adolescents “. Freed said.
“Inconsistent sleep habits can particularly increase the potential for unhealthy foods and reduce external physical activity,” he said.
Black parents included poverty, lack of access to health care, and gun injuries among their top ten concerns. White and Hispanic parents did not include them in their list, but mentioned child abuse and neglect as one of the top ten concerns.
Excessive use of screens
White and Hispanic parents valued the excessive use of social media and the amount of time their child spent on screens as their number 1 concern, followed by harassment or cyberbullying and Internet security.
While there is concern about excessive screen time for children, there may be a place to make video chats and phone calls with family and friends.
“It’s important for children and teens to maintain social and family connections that we know are critical to their emotional well-being, especially at a time when they feel stressed or isolated,” Freed said. “Technology can be an important vehicle for these connections.”