A systematic review and meta-analysis on the preventive behaviors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic among children and adolescents

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this review was to synthesize the empirical evidence of relevant studies related to preventive behaviors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic among children and adolescents. Further to this, we aimed to identify the demographic, psychological, and social and environmental correlates of such behaviors. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, eligible literature was identified by searching seven databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PROSPERO registry platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov website) and reference list of included studies and relevant review papers from 1st Jan 2020 to 28th Feb 2021. The standardized mean difference and correlation coefficients r were extracted to estimate the effect sizes. Analyses were conducted using R software. Results Of the 35,271 original papers, 23 eligible studies were included in the qualitative synthesis and all these studies were of moderate-to-high quality, of which 17 studies were further included into the quantitative analysis. Children and adolescents (6–20 yrs.) showed a poorer practice of COVID-19 preventive behaviors compared to younger adults (21–59 yrs.) with a small-to-medium effect size (SMD = -.25, 95%CI = -.41 to -.09). For the demographic correlates, children and adolescents’ COVID-19 preventive practice was found to be significantly associated with gender (r = .14, 95%CI = .10 to .18), while not with age (r = -.02, 95%CI = -.14 to .10). Narratively, knowledge was found to be consistently and significantly correlated. For the psychological correlates, small-to-medium overall effects were identified for the association with attitudes (r = .26, 95%CI = .21 to .31) and perceived severity (r = .16, 95%CI = .01 to .30). For the family and social correlates, a non-significant association was identified between family economic status and COVID-19 preventive behaviors (r = .004, 95%CI = -.12 to .12). Conclusions Interventions and relevant policies of promoting children and adolescent’s preventive measures should be a priority. Further, empirical studies identifying the demographic, psychological, and family and social correlates of children and adolescents’ preventive behaviors are needed.

Psychosocial Determinants of Hand Hygiene, Facemask Wearing, and Physical Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Most reviews have focused on the combination of diverse precautionary behaviors (e.g., overall practice of personal disinfection, avoidant behaviors, and nutrition supplement), whereas the diversity and distinction between these behaviors were comparatively ignored [ 9 , 13 , 33–37 ]. For instance, some researchers summarized the evidence on knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) during the pandemic, providing preliminary support for a significant interrelationship between KAP concepts [ 13 , 34 , 35 ].…”

Association Between the COVID-19 Vaccine and Preventive Behaviors: Panel Data Analysis From Japan

“…Many researches investigated preventive behaviors against COVID-19. However, most of studies are based on cross-section data, rather than the panel data [54,55]. Hence, these studies suffered omitted variables biases and did not explore causality between dependent variables and preventive behaviors.…”

“…However, it is not unknown whether preventive behaviors depend on completing vaccination. [54][55][56]58] Contribution of this study is to explore correlation between vaccination and preventive behaviors by comparing before and after the vaccination using the individual level panel data.…”

COVID-19 Prevention Strategies for Victoria Students within Educational Facilities: An AI-Based Modelling Study

“…The number of confirmed cases in the United States increased significantly from 2021, accounting for about 13.3% for the age group 0–18 years [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. To prevent the spread of the virus, it is important to adopt preventive behaviours such as wearing face masks, which have been shown to be effective in suppressing transmission and flattening the pandemic curve [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. These measures are crucial even after vaccination, as they can increase the suppressive effect [ 7 ].…”

“…To prevent the spread of the virus, it is important to adopt preventive behaviours such as wearing face masks, which have been shown to be effective in suppressing transmission and flattening the pandemic curve [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. These measures are crucial even after vaccination, as they can increase the suppressive effect [ 7 ]. In addition to preventive behaviours, increased testing is essential to prevent the spread of the disease in society.…”