The COVID pandemic affected several elements of youngsters’s health and wellbeing. The number of youngsters referred to specialist mental health teams in England has soared by greater than 50% in only three years, for instance. But recent research from my colleagues and I reveals that problems resembling these were increasing even before the pandemic.
Our study explored changes within the health and wellbeing of 36,951 primary school children between 2014 and 2022. We analysed the info from anonymous annual surveys given to children aged between eight and 11 in Wales. The questions covered various elements of health and wellbeing resembling physical activity, food plan, sleep and mental health and wellbeing.
It shows a major decline in various elements of childhood health and wellbeing over an eight 12 months period. While societal aspects like Brexit, the pandemic and the price of living crisis likely play a job, our research suggests a decline was underway even before these events.
Understanding these trends is crucial. Childhood experiences significantly affect adult health and behavior, with half of all mental health problems established by age 14.
Decline in swimming and cycling
We found a very troubling decline in swimming and cycling ability. For example, 85% of youngsters reported having the ability to swim 25 metres in 2018, but that percentage dropped to 68% by 2022.
This is concerning as activities resembling these are essential for developing fundamental movement skills and coordination in childhood. Funding cuts to free swimming schemes in 2019 in Wales and the closure of swimming pools throughout the pandemic to stop virus transmission can have not helped the situation.
The decline in swimming ability disproportionately affected children from disadvantaged backgrounds, further highlighting the potential for such cuts to widen existing inequality.
Michael Kemp/Alamy
We also identified a decline in fruit and vegetable consumption, while there was an increase in eating sugary snacks. Sugar intake spiked in 2020, coinciding with the COVID lockdowns. This suggests a possible link between the rise in time spent at home and unhealthier dietary decisions.
School routines often provide structure and regular mealtimes, which can have been disrupted throughout the pandemic. These findings may support arguments for universal free school meals, which could help reduce the inequality in access to a healthy and balanced food plan.
Mental health issues, including emotional and behavioural difficulties, also increased. Emotional difficulties affected between 13% and 15% of youngsters between 2017 and 2018. But that percentage increased to 29% between 2021 and 2022. Girls also reported higher emotional and behavioural difficulties than boys.
There was also a rise in children worrying and feeling lonely, and this was present even before the pandemic. This highlights the necessity to offer settings which promote socialisation and support children’s wellbeing.
More than a pandemic problem
Our research suggests the decline in children’s health and wellbeing that began before the pandemic has either continued or plateaued. This indicates that more complex issues are present and require further motion than simply assuming that returning to pre-pandemic routines would improve matters.
The wellbeing of school-aged children is a cornerstone of future public health. Our findings, based on children’s own experiences, underscore the urgent need for interventions to handle this concerning trend. This is especially significant as children’s voices are sometimes absent from policy and planning discussions.
Governments and public bodies must prioritise developing and implementing effective, long-lasting ways to reverse these trends. Policies and funding should address critical elements of childhood health and wellbeing. These include essential physical skills like swimming and cycling, confidence and independence in physical activity, and youngsters’s overall wellbeing and skill to socialize. Creating supportive environments inside schools and communities can be crucial.
Greater investment is required in these areas and a stronger concentrate on listening to children and understanding their needs. Only then can we bring about meaningful change and ensure a brighter future for kids in all places.