Ling Jiying, Kao Tsui-Sui Annie, Robbins Lorraine B, Wahman Charis Lauren
Michigan State University College of Nursing, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Nurs. 2023 Feb;36(1):44-54. doi: 10.1111/jcap.12399. Epub 2022 Nov 6.
COVID-19 has profoundly impacted children's behavioral and psychosocial development, especially young children from low-income families. This study examined how caregivers' and preschoolers' lifestyle behaviors (sleep, screen time, physical activity, eating behavior) were related to preschoolers' emotional well-being (sadness, fear, anger, and positive affect).
Using a cross-sectional design, we recruited low-income caregivers from Head Start organizations and the Qualtrics panel. Participants provided consent and completed an online survey.
A total of 408 caregivers (mean age = 31) participated: 17% Hispanic, 21% Black, 49% separated/single, 44% unemployed, and 39% with ≤high school education. After adjusting for demographics and preschoolers' lifestyle behaviors, caregivers' sleep disturbance was positively correlated with preschoolers' anger, fear, and sadness, while negatively related to positive affect. Similarly, caregivers' sleep time was positively correlated with preschoolers' sadness and negatively related to positive affect. Preschoolers' sleep time was negatively related to fear and positively related to positive affect. Likewise, preschoolers' physical activity was negatively correlated with fear, sadness, and positively correlated with positive affect. Additionally, preschoolers' fruit/vegetable intake was negatively associated with anger, fear, sadness, and positively associated with positive affect.
The identified behavior-emotion connection provides a foundation for developing family-based lifestyle interventions in promoting mental health among preschoolers.
新冠疫情对儿童的行为和心理社会发展产生了深远影响，尤其是来自低收入家庭的幼儿。本研究探讨了照顾者和学龄前儿童的生活方式行为（睡眠、屏幕使用时间、体育活动、饮食行为）与学龄前儿童的情绪健康（悲伤、恐惧、愤怒和积极情绪）之间的关系。
采用横断面设计，我们从“启智计划”组织和Qualtrics面板中招募了低收入照顾者。参与者提供了知情同意并完成了一项在线调查。
共有408名照顾者（平均年龄 = 31岁）参与：17%为西班牙裔，21%为黑人，49%为分居/单身，44%失业，39%的教育程度≤高中。在对人口统计学和学龄前儿童的生活方式行为进行调整后，照顾者的睡眠障碍与学龄前儿童的愤怒、恐惧和悲伤呈正相关，而与积极情绪呈负相关。同样，照顾者的睡眠时间与学龄前儿童的悲伤呈正相关，与积极情绪呈负相关。学龄前儿童的睡眠时间与恐惧呈负相关，与积极情绪呈正相关。同样，学龄前儿童的体育活动与恐惧、悲伤呈负相关，与积极情绪呈正相关。此外，学龄前儿童的水果/蔬菜摄入量与愤怒、恐惧、悲伤呈负相关，与积极情绪呈正相关。
所确定的行为与情绪之间的联系为制定以家庭为基础的生活方式干预措施以促进学龄前儿童的心理健康提供了基础。
