COVID-19 lockdown: Ethnic differences in children’s self-reported physical activity and the importance of leaving the home environment A longitudinal and cross-sectional study from the Born in Bradford birth cohort

Abstract

Background

In England, the onset of COVID-19 and a rapidly increasing infection rate resulted in a lockdown (March-June 2020) which placed strict restrictions on movement of the public, including children. Using data collected from children living in a multi-ethnic city with high levels of deprivation, this study aimed to: (1) report children's self-reported physical activity (PA) during the first COVID-19 UK lockdown and identify associated factors; (2) examine changes of childrens self-reported PA prior to and during the first UK lockdown.

Methods

This study is part of the Born in Bradford (BiB) COVID-19 Research Study. PA (amended Youth Activity Profile), sleep, sedentary behaviours, daily frequency/time/destination/activity when leaving the home, were self-reported by 949 children (9-13 years). A sub-sample (n=634) also self-reported PA (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children) pre-pandemic (2017-February 2020). Univariate analysis assessed differences in PA between sex and ethnicity groups; multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with children’s PA. Differences in children’s levels of being sufficiently active were examined using the McNemar test examined change in PA prior to and during the lockdown, and multivariable logistic regression to identify factors explaining change.

Results

During the pandemic, White British (WB) children were more sufficiently active (34.1%) compared to Pakistani Heritage children (PH) (22.8%) or ‘Other’ ethnicity children (O) (22.8%). WB children reported leaving the home more frequently and for longer periods than PH and O children. Modifiable variables related to being sufficiently active were frequency, duration, type of activity, and destination away from the home environment. There was a large reduction in children being sufficiently active during the first COVID-19 lockdown (28.9%) compared to pre-pandemic (69.4%).

Conclusions

Promoting safe extended periods of PA everyday outdoors is important for all children, in particular for children from ethnic minority groups. Children’s PA during the first COVID-19 UK lockdown has drastically reduced from before. Policy and decision makers, and practitioners should consider the findings in order to begin to understand the impact and consequences that COVID-19 has had upon children’s PA which is a key and vital behaviour for health and development

Citation 

Covid-19 lockdown: Ethnic differences in children’s self-reported physical activity and the importance of leaving the home environment. A longitudinal and cross-sectional study from the Born in Bradford birth cohort study

Daniel D Bingham, Andy Daly-Smith, Jennifer Hall, Amanda Seims, Sufyan A. Dogra, Stuart J Fairclough, Mildred Ajebon, Brian Kelly, Bo Hou, Katy A Shire, Kirsty L Crossley, Mark Mon-Williams, John Wright, Kate Pickett, Rosemary McEachan, Josie Dickerson, Sally E Barber

medRxiv 2021.02.26.21252543; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.26.21252543