Page 101 - IJPS-10-3

International Journal of
Population Studies Pandemic impacts preschoolers’ movement behaviors

Table 2. Comparison of movement behaviors before and than 1 h indoors (OR = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.16 – 0.66) during
during the COVID‑19 pandemic the weekend (Table 2).
Model – behavior×time 4. Discussion
Variables β 95% CI p The present study analyzed the difference in time spent
Sleep 0.12 0.08 – 0.16 <0.01 sleeping, exposure to screens, and indoor and outdoor
Screen time (weekdays) 0.59 0.34 – 0.83 <0.01 PA in low-income preschoolers before and during the
Screen time (weekend days) 0.26 0.06 – 0.46 <0.01 pandemic. The main results showed an increase in sleep
Screen time (weekly) 0.50 0.31 – 0.70 <0.01 and sedentary time and a decrease in time spent on indoor
OR 95% CI p and outdoor PA during the pandemic.
Outdoor activities (weekdays) a For health reasons, preschoolers should spend 10 – 13 h
≥1 h 1 on good-quality sleep daily (WHO, 2019). In João Pessoa,
<1 h 2.22 1.12 – 4.41 0.02 which is geographically proximal to the equator, the sun
None 0.62 0.34 – 1.13 0.12 rises between 4:30 am and 5:30 a.m. all year round. Before
Outdoor activities (weekend days) b the pandemic, the assessed preschoolers were used to
arriving at preschools at 6:30 a.m., as their parents usually
≥1 h 1 start working at 7 a.m. We argue that a shift in family
<1 h 0.14 0.05 – 0.38 <0.01 routine due to the social restrictions imposed accounts for
None 0.36 0.17 – 0.72 <0.01 the observed increase in children’s sleep time following an
Indoor activities (weekdays) b alteration to the behavioral rules set by the parents for their
≥1 h 1 children. In fact, a prior study has shown that preschoolers
<1 h 0.34 0.17 – 0.67 <0.01 reported negative experiences regarding sleep during the
None 0.53 0.27 – 1.02 0.06 pandemic (Liu et al., 2020). In fact, children from low-
Indoor activities (weekend days) b income families go to bed later (Blair et al., 2012), but
during the lockdown period, parents staying home due to
≥1 h 1 the social restrictions had positively driven an early sleep
<1 h 0.12 0.05 – 0.30 <0.01 time for their children. Nonetheless, it is also important
None 0.32 0.16 – 0.66 <0.01 to highlight that despite the increased length of sleep, no
Note: 1 h as the reference category. information about sleep quality has been assessed.
Abbreviations; β: Beta coefficient; OR: Odds ratio; CI: Confidence As seen in the current study, social isolation increases
interval (95%).
children’s exposure to risky behaviors, such as longer screen
time. Preschoolers increased their average screen time both
(ii) the children were approximately twice more likely to on weekdays and on weekends. It is worth mentioning that
be active for <1 h, when compared to those who played when children were at preschool, screen exposure was
for more than 1 h during the pandemic (OR = 2.22; 95% limited, as usage of digital devices was disallowed in these
CI = 1.12 – 4.41). During the weekend, children who settings. The prohibition may, at least partially, explain the
spent 1 h on outdoor PA daily or who did not engage increased amount of time children were exposed to screens
with outdoor PA had approximately 86% (OR = 0.14; 95% during the pandemic. Actually, making preschoolers
CI = 0.05 – 0.38) and 64% (OR = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.17 – comply with screen recommendations has been one of
0.72) higher chance of maintaining these behaviors during the most challenging endeavors even before the lockdown
the pandemic, when compared to those who engaged with (Cliff et al., 2017; De Craemer et al., 2018) and could
outdoor PA for more than 1 h daily (Table 2). become much more difficult after having experienced such
Children who were active indoors for <1 h during a long-period isolation at home.
weekdays were 66% less likely stay active when compared The results also demonstrated a significant decline in
to children who were active for more than 1 h (OR = 0.36; outdoor PA time. The reduced access to neighborhood
95% CI = 0.18 – 0.72). During the weekend, children who leisure facilities, associated with parental decision to
were active for <1 h showed 88% less likely of being active restrict outdoor activities for their children, may have
when compared to children who were active for more than contributed to such findings. Indeed, the outdoor
1 h (OR = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.05 – 0.30). Preschoolers who environment has a key impact on preschoolers’ PA,
had no indoor PA time had 68% less chance of remaining contributing to PA recommendation compliances (An
in this condition when compared to those who spent more et al., 2019). International guidelines have underscored

Volume 10 Issue 3 (2024) 95 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0975