Chinese Parental Awareness of Children's COVID-19 Protective Measures.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: In this research our aim was to investigate Chinese parents' awareness of pediatric COVID-19 in relation to protecting their children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Fujian provinces in China using a Web-based questionnaire to survey parents of children aged 6 to 16 years old. Results: The sample included 1222 participants. Overall, 99.2% of participants were aware of respiratory transmission of COVID-19, and 75.6% also believed fecal-oral transmission to be possible. Although 98.3% of participants claimed to know how to wear and remove masks properly, some parents were unaware of good handwashing techniques and answered incorrectly regarding cough etiquette. Parents also seemed uncertain about pediatric COVID-19 symptoms. Awareness scores significantly differed across parental role, educational attainment levels, and social-economic levels (p value < .005), with fathers, more educated parents, and those of higher income showing greater levels of awareness.Conclusion: Research results suggest an urgent need for parental education regarding COVID-19 in children, especially regarding handwashing techniques and cough etiquette; educational outreach for both parents and schoolchildren is critical.