Lifestyle changes, mental health, and health-related quality of life in children aged 6–7 years before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Germany

Table 3 Associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and several health related outcomes in n = 362 children in first grade of school, adjusted for age, year of school enrollment, educational attainment mother using linear/logistic regression models, stratified by gender (boys vs. girls)

	Health related quality of life (KINDL)^a		Emotional and behavioral difficulties (SDQ)^b		PA-score (−7 to +7)^c		Physical inactive^d		Screen-time (hours/week)^e		Time spent with books (hours/week)^f		Quality of sleep (CSHQ)^g
	Differences in means (95% CI)	p-value	Differences in means (95% CI)	p-value	Differences in means (95% CI)	p-value	Odds ratio (95% CI)	p-value	Differences in means (95% CI)	p-value	Differences in means (95% CI)	p-value	Differences in means (95% CI)	p-value
COVID-19 pand
G	− 5.5 (− 9.0, − 2.0)	0.002	2.0 (0.2, 3.8)	0.03	0.3 (− 0.9, 1.5)	0.6	0.9 (0.4, 2.1)	0.8	0.6 (− 1.8, 2.9)	0.6	− 0.03 (− 2.0, 1.9)	0.98	0.9 (− 1.4, 3.2)	0.4
B	−1.0 (− 5.2, 3.2)	0.6	1.3 (− 1.1, 3.7)	0.3	0.6 (− 0.7, 1.9)	0.4	0.7 (0.3, 1.9)	0.5	3.5 (0.6, 6.4)	0.02	0.5 (− 1.5, 2.5)	0.6	− 1.4 (− 4.6, 1.8)	0.4
N observations
G	N = 178		N = 190		N = 189		N = 186		N = 187		N = 187		N = 174
B	N = 160		N = 170		N = 170		N = 170		N = 168		N = 168		N = 155

School enrollment: 09/2018 or 09/2019
Educational attainment mother: duration of school education ≤ 9 years, 10–11 years, or ≥ 12 years
G, girls; B, boys; vs, versus; CI, confidence interval; PA, physical activity
^aKINDL questionnaire, higher values indicate higher health-related quality of life
^bStrengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), total difficulties score, higher values indicate more emotional and behavioral difficulties
^cItems answered with ‘physical active’ outweighing items answered with ‘physical inactive’; Score from −7 to +7
^dLogistic regression model, modelling the probability for being physically inactive vs. physical active
^eIncluding time spent with TV/DVD (also via computer/smartphone), time spent with computer games/game consoles (also via smartphone), time spent with other use of internet/computer (also via smartphone)
^fEither read by themselves or read to them by someone else
^gChild Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), higher values indicate more sleep problems

ISSN: 1753-2000