Well‐Being of Children and Families in COVID‐19 Hotspots in Chicago

• Published in: The Journal of school health Vol. 94; no. 3; pp. 219 - 227
• Main Authors: Kan, Kristin, Enaholo, Ososese, Kanaley, Madeleine, Holtzman, Gwen, Ibrahim, Khalid, Morales, Lu, Lombard, Lisa, Gupta, Ruchi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.03.2024; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Chicago - epidemiology; Child; Child Health - ethnology; Child Health - statistics & numerical data; child well‐being; Children; Children & youth; Childrens health; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; COVID‐19 pandemic; Disease Hotspot; Emotions; Families & family life; Family; Family (Sociological Unit); Family Health - statistics & numerical data; Grade 8; health equity; Health problems; Health Services Needs and Demand - statistics & numerical data; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic or Latino - psychology; Hispanic or Latino - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Internet; Kindergarten; Longitudinal Studies; Needs Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Negative emotions; Neighborhoods; Online Surveys; Pandemics; Parents; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; Polls & surveys; schools; Chicago; United States > US; Chicago Illinois; COVID-19 pandemic; health equity; child well-being; schools
• ISSN: 0022-4391; 1746-1561
• DOI: 10.1111/josh.13416

Background Families in high‐risk communities for COVID‐19 transmission experienced a disproportionate burden during the pandemic. This study assessed these families' needs, changes in children's well‐being, and perceptions related to the pandemic. Methods Four online surveys were administered January 2021 to September 2021 to parents of students, enrolled in parochial, kindergarten‐eighth grade schools in Chicago neighborhoods with higher COVID‐19 incidence rates by ZIP code, compared to the city average, and higher resource need. Results The response rate was 69.1% (n = 186 of 269) in the baseline survey; and other surveys were at 1 (n = 151), 3 (n = 145), and 5 months (n = 154). Of the sample, 83% of parents identified as Hispanic/Latinx with a mean age of 38.3 years (SD: 8.5). Approximately a quarter of parents reported difficulty paying cable and internet bills (26%) and paying utilities (25%). Parents reported children as happy (94% and 95%, p = .59) and hopeful (96% and 95%, p = .74) at 1‐month (February to May 2021) and 5‐month surveys (June to September 2021). Parents also reported fewer children were irritable (29% vs 19%, p = .03), felt lonely (17% vs 10%, p = .03), and felt isolated (28% vs 9%, p < .001) between those survey waves. The majority (67%) of parents felt that their child had no difficulty wearing a mask in public. Conclusions In this longitudinal study, Chicago parents rated children's well‐being highly and reported a decrease in negative emotions over time. The areas of need identified may be particularly relevant for outreach and providing resources to Hispanic/Latino families in future emergencies or global health threats.