Subjective well-being and stay-at-home experiences of children aged 6-16 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg: A report of the project COVID-Kids.
Publication details
| Year: | 2020 |
| Issued: | 2020 |
| Language: | English |
| Start Page: | 1 |
| End Page: | 36 |
| Editors: | |
| Authors: | Kirsch C.; Engel de Abreu P.M.J.; Neumann S.; Wealer C.; Brazas K.; Hauffels I. |
| Type: | Report and working paper |
| Publisher: | University of Luxembourg, Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences: Department of Humanities |
| Place: | Campus Belval L-4366 Esch-Alzette |
| Topics: | Wellbeing |
| Sample: | “In total 719 eligible participants took part in the survey and the data of 680 children was analysed for the purpose of this report. The mean chronological age of the participants was 10.54 years (SD = 3.11 years), 57% were girls and 67% attended primary school.” “Twenty-two children (14 boys, 8 girls) aged 8 to 16 of five different schools participated. Half of the children attended primary school, half secondary. At the time of the interviews, the primary schools were still closed and teachers set work to be completed by the children at home. By contrast, the secondary school pupils had been back at school for one or two weeks.” (Kirsch, C., Engel de Abreu, P. M. J., Neumann, S., Wealer, C, Brazas, K., & Hauffels, I., 2020, page 10 & 11.) |
| Implications For Educators About: | School innovation |
Abstract
This report summarizes key findings and recommendations relating to child well-being in
Luxembourg during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic from the research project “COVIDKids”.
The study examined subjective child well-being and stay-at-home experiences of children
aged 6-16 via an online questionnaire (680 children) and interviews (22 children). The findings
and recommendations presented here are based on quantitative and qualitative data. All the data
was collected during the pandemic between May - July 2020.
Outcome
“> Children’s reported life satisfaction significantly decreased
> Certain groups of children reported significantly lower levels of emotional well-being during the pandemic than others
> Significant relationships emerged between factors from different spheres of influence and child well-being
> Children missed their friends and their family most during school closure and confinement
> Over a third of the children reported concerns of falling ill during the pandemic
> Children reported working three to four hours a day on school work and not everybody indicated coping well with it
> Secondary school children were less “active” during school closure and confinement than primary school children
> Children have a voice: their experiences vary and they have much of importance to say”
(Kirsch, C., Engel de Abreu, P. M. J., Neumann, S., Wealer, C, Brazas, K., & Hauffels, I., 2020, page 4.)
Before the pandemic, primary school children spent on average 0.9 hours and those in secondary 2.4 hours on the internet. During the pandemic, primary school children spent 2.6 and secondary school children 6.3 hours on the internet or the computer. The data further indicates a significant relationship between “doing nothing” and emotional wellbeing: children who spend more time “doing nothing” were more likely to also report negative emotions and worries.
(Kirsch, C., Engel de Abreu, P. M. J., Neumann, S., Wealer, C, Brazas, K., & Hauffels, I., 2020, page 24.)