Alves Jasmin M, Yunker Alexandra G, DeFendis Alexis, Xiang Anny H, Page Kathleen A
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089.
Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA 90089.
medRxiv. 2020 Oct 23:2020.10.20.20216424. doi: 10.1101/2020.10.20.20216424.
We investigated how emotional responses (positive and negative affect), physical activity (PA), and sedentary behaviors related to anxiety among US children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-four typically-developing children (63% girls) age 9-15 years old completed two virtual visits during height of "stay-at-home" measures between April 22 - July 29, 2020. Children completed 24-hour PA recalls, state portion of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), and the shortened 10-item Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (PANAS-C). Children reported state anxiety scores that were more than 5 standard deviations greater than values from healthy pediatric populations prior to the pandemic. Children with higher positive affect and who reported more time in PA reported less state anxiety. Sedentary and leisure screen time were positively correlated with negative affect. Our findings suggest that maintaining positive affect, engaging in PA, and limiting leisure screen time may be important for child mental health during stressful periods.
There is increasing concern regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic may impact the psychological and physical health of children. To date, studies on mental health during the pandemic in children are limited. We investigated links between activity levels and psychological outcomes in children during the height of the "stay-at-home" measures. We found that children had anxiety scores that were more than 5 standard deviations greater than normative values from healthy pediatric populations prior to the pandemic, and 94% of children exceeded the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on leisure screen time. Positive affect and physical activity were associated with reduced anxiety levels in children during the pandemic. These findings highlight the important mental health benefits of maintaining positive affect, engaging in physical activity, and limiting leisure screen time for children, especially during stressful periods.
我们研究了在新冠疫情期间，美国儿童的情绪反应（积极和消极情绪）、身体活动（PA）以及久坐行为与焦虑之间的关系。64名9至15岁发育正常的儿童（63%为女孩）在2020年4月22日至7月29日“居家”措施最严格期间完成了两次虚拟访视。儿童完成了24小时的身体活动回忆、儿童状态-特质焦虑量表（STAIC）的状态部分，以及缩短版的10项儿童正负性情绪量表（PANAS-C）。儿童报告的状态焦虑得分比疫情前健康儿童群体的值高出5个以上标准差。积极情绪较高且报告进行身体活动时间较多的儿童报告的状态焦虑较少。久坐和休闲屏幕时间与消极情绪呈正相关。我们的研究结果表明，在压力时期，保持积极情绪、进行身体活动以及限制休闲屏幕时间可能对儿童心理健康很重要。
人们越来越担心新冠疫情可能如何影响儿童的心理和身体健康。迄今为止，关于疫情期间儿童心理健康的研究有限。我们调查了“居家”措施最严格期间儿童的活动水平与心理结果之间的联系。我们发现，儿童的焦虑得分比疫情前健康儿童群体的标准值高出5个以上标准差，并且94%的儿童超过了美国儿科学会关于休闲屏幕时间的建议。在疫情期间，积极情绪和身体活动与儿童焦虑水平降低有关。这些发现凸显了保持积极情绪、进行身体活动以及限制儿童休闲屏幕时间，尤其是在压力时期，对心理健康的重要益处。
