Parents' Perceptions of Changes in Sleep Duration, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior in Arab Israeli Children during the COVID-19 Outbreak.

The COVID-19 pandemic led many countries to apply lockdown measures that could prevent children from achieving the physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep levels suggested for their psychophysical health. The current study tested changes in physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep length of children and the incidence of achieving the 24 h movement standards through the limitations of COVID-19. A total of 490 Arab Israeli parents were surveyed. An electronic cross-sectional survey was performed, including questions addressing engagement in physical activities, use of screens, and sleep duration. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, time spent participating in physical activity was reduced, sedentary behavior and sleep duration were increased, and the percentage of the sample who met the physical activity and sedentary behavior suggestions lessened. The percentage of participants who attained the overall 24 h movement recommendations was very low during the pandemic; school children met the guideline recommendations for physical activity and sleep duration more than preschool children, and girls spent more time in physical activity. These findings highlight the need for strategies to enhance physical activity and decrease sedentary behavior in children to prevent long-term effects of limitations imposed by COVID-19. Efforts to perceive and encourage healthy routines in Arab Israeli children in the case of pandemic limitations are expected to serve as a precedence.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Behavioral and Emotional Aspects and Daily Routines of Arab Israeli Children.

Negative psychological effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been identified in adults and children, such as anxiety and sleep disorders. However, research about the impact of this pandemic on children from ethnical minorities is scarce. We tested the effects of COVID-19 outbreak on psychological aspects and daily routines among Arab Israeli Children. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among Arab Israeli parents, including behavioral and emotional aspects questionnaire and questions addressing using of screens, sleep, and physical activities. The results showed that, during the COVID-19 outbreak, 55.8% of the children asked to sleep in their parents' bed and 45% expressed fears they did not have before. Most of the children showed increased irritability, constant mood swings and nervousness about limits and messages, and 41.4% showed sleep difficulties. Concerning adaptive behaviors, more than 50% of the parents reported that their child became wiser, lazier, and was able to adapt the limits and restriction of the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, the children tended to increase their use of screens, used to sleep more time, and were less active physically. The results suggest that children are vulnerable to the COVID-19 outbreak psychological effects and highlight the need to reduce the psychological burden of this pandemic and the necessity of immediate intervention.