AUTHOR=Díaz-Rodríguez Mercedes , Carretero-Bravo Jesús , Pérez-Muñoz Celia , Deudero-Sánchez Mercedes 

TITLE=Lockdown due to COVID-19 in Spanish Children Up to 6 Years: Consequences on Diet, Lifestyle, Screen Viewing, and Sleep

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 67 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604088

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1604088

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=The lockdown caused by COVID-19 until May 2020 in Spain may have effects on the life habits of Spanish children, which could have direct consequences on their health in general and obesity in particular. Methods: We developed a new questionnaire to analyse family living habits. The questionnaire was administered online to parents of children aged zero-six years. Eating habits, sedentary lifestyles, screen viewing, and sleep changes were evaluated. Results: Changes were found in family living habits, as shown by the results of McNemar's tests (p-value < 0.01 in all pairs except one, p-value=0.097). A worsening of habits was also found to be more accentuated in families with low income, low educational level or small size of home. Some positive aspects associated with family meals and parental involvement were found. Conclusions: The lockdown has showed a significant break in the main routines of the children that could affect their health and may add to the worsening of the already poor childhood obesity situation. The positive aspects found can be instrumental in improving the situation in future similar situations.