Well-Being of Children and Families in COVID-19 Hotspots in Chicago.

J Sch Health

Division of Advanced General Pediatrics and Primary Care, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 420 E Superior St, Chicago, IL 60611; Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University, 750 N. Lake Shore Dr. #680, Chicago, IL 60611; Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation Center, 225 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.

Published: March 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • Families in high-risk communities faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a study conducted on parents from parochial schools in Chicago assessing their needs and children's well-being.
  • The survey revealed a high response rate (69.1%) with most participants identifying as Hispanic/Latinx, highlighting some financial struggles, such as difficulties paying bills.
  • Overall, parents reported their children were generally happy and hopeful, with notable decreases in feelings of irritability, loneliness, and isolation over time, indicating a positive shift in children's emotional well-being.

Article Abstract

Background: Families in high-risk communities for COVID-19 transmission experienced a disproportionate burden during the pandemic. This study assessed these families' needs, changes in children's well-being, and perceptions related to the pandemic.

Methods: Four online surveys were administered January 2021 to September 2021 to parents of students, enrolled in parochial, kindergarten-eighth grade schools in Chicago neighborhoods with higher COVID-19 incidence rates by ZIP code, compared to the city average, and higher resource need.

Results: The response rate was 69.1% (n = 186 of 269) in the baseline survey; and other surveys were at 1 (n = 151), 3 (n = 145), and 5 months (n = 154). Of the sample, 83% of parents identified as Hispanic/Latinx with a mean age of 38.3 years (SD: 8.5). Approximately a quarter of parents reported difficulty paying cable and internet bills (26%) and paying utilities (25%). Parents reported children as happy (94% and 95%, p = .59) and hopeful (96% and 95%, p = .74) at 1-month (February to May 2021) and 5-month surveys (June to September 2021). Parents also reported fewer children were irritable (29% vs 19%, p = .03), felt lonely (17% vs 10%, p = .03), and felt isolated (28% vs 9%, p < .001) between those survey waves. The majority (67%) of parents felt that their child had no difficulty wearing a mask in public.

Conclusions: In this longitudinal study, Chicago parents rated children's well-being highly and reported a decrease in negative emotions over time. The areas of need identified may be particularly relevant for outreach and providing resources to Hispanic/Latino families in future emergencies or global health threats.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10872485PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/josh.13416DOI Listing

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