Current Conditions and Issues of Families with Elementary School-Aged Children During the Spread of COVID-19

<p>Background/Objectives: With the spread of COVID-19 infections, measures restricting many activities have been instituted, which may increase the levels of stress in families with school-aged children. The objectives of this study were to conduct a survey to understand the current conditions of those families, and to investigate the situation between parents and children at home.</p><p>Methods: Participants were 319 parents: 105 in Iwate prefecture, 108 in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and 106 in Okinawa prefecture. We developed a questionnaire, and the survey was administered by a web-based research firm.</p><p>Results: While following the stay-at-home guidance during the declared state of emergency period, compared with parents in Iwate and Okinawa, those in Tokyo showed significantly higher levels of anxiety about the following items: “Emotional problems,” reported by 55 parents (50.9%, p=0.001); “Interpersonal relationships among family members,” reported by 34 parents (31.5%, p=0.004); and “Interpersonal relationships with acquaintances,” reported by 20 parents (18.5%, p=0.001). Regarding children, parents in Tokyo also showed significantly higher levels of anxiety about “Education,” reported by 66 parents (61.1%, p<0.001). For changes in the parenting environment and impacts on their work (5-point Likert scale), the mean scores of parents in Tokyo were significantly higher than those in other prefectures, and they were more likely to report positive impacts. As an example of a positive impact, some mentioned the increase in interactions with their children. However, they also reported issues such as less free time for themselves as a negative impact. Addressing the issue of their children falling behind because of school closures, some parents reported that they achieved positive outcomes through various forms of supplementary lessons outside of school. In addition, regarding the use of ICT-based learning, many parents requested implementation of distance learning and hybrid lessons.</p><p>Discussion: Restrictions on activities during the state of emergency caused anxiety and stress within families with school-aged children. However, although high levels of stress were anticipated with the increased amount of time spent with children due to the stay-at-home guidance, many parents in this study reported that they viewed these mandates positively and many found positive impacts on their work. In addition, to address the anxiety about delays in their children’s learning, parents made efforts to use all available resources in their environments, which made them feel that they generated positive outcomes. Further studies and data collection will be needed to consider the optimal care of children in the future.</p>