Abstract :
Introduction: Primary school children are relatively vulnerable to the COVID-19 infection and its impact. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the psychosocial well-being of primary school children.
Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study from March-August 2021. A sample of 285 children was randomly assigned by cluster random sampling. Children were interviewed using a pretested and validated questionnaire. The questionnaire is composed of questions related to demographic information and the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on primary school children. Children’s responses were scored, and descriptive analyses were conducted with SPSS version 25.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics).
Results: A total of 285 primary school children were interviewed. Children’s mean age was 13.2 ± 0.9 years old; 65.3% were males, 84.6% were from public schools, and 78.2% were in grade/class 8. 175 (61.4%) of participants reported that their daily lives had been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while 176 children (61.8%) avoided visiting crowded places; 59 children (20.7%) did not visit their friends, 90 children (31.6%) avoided public places, and 194 (68.1%) reported keeping their distance from people with influenza-like symptoms.
Conclusion: COVID-19 had a profound impact on the psychosocial well-being of primary school children. Addressing the gaps in children's understanding of COVID-19 and promoting proactive health behaviors through targeted education can significantly contribute to mitigating the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on the primary school population. Future research and efforts to prioritize the appropriate strategies to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on primary school children are extremely needed.
Keyword :
COVID-19, Impact, Pandemic, Primary school children, Targeted education