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Background <p>The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected young children’s health and development. Comprehensive assessments of the indirect impact of the pandemic on preschool children in China are still lacking.</p> Methods <p>We used survey data collected in August 2020 in Yunnan, one of the least developed provinces in China, consisting of 34,068 preschool children aged 3–7 from 305 kindergartens. We estimated the prevalence of caregiver-reportedindirect impacts of COVID-19 on a child’s health. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the reported outcomes.</p> Results <p>Of the children, 27% were reported experiencing negative COVID-19 impacts on health (being moody 12%, substantial weight gain 9%, or being obsessed with online games 13%). Significant socioeconomic inequalities in the outcomes were observed. Children disabled/with special needs (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.32 to1.58), or children with household economic deterioration (OR = 2.54, 95% CI 2.38 to 2.71) were more likely to be reported with negative impact on health. Children with college or higher maternal schooling (OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.99) were less likely to be reported with negative impact on health. Children with higher income (more than 100,000 RMB, OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.33), or college or higher maternal schooling (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.59), or left-behind status (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.25), or household economic deterioration (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.33 to 1.57) were more likely to be reported becoming happier.</p> Conclusion <p>Our findings reveal a high prevalence of reported negative impact on preschool children during COVID-19, with positive change relatively low. Policymakers should take action to mitigate the negative impacts on disadvantaged preschool children, especially those with disabilities, living in poverty, and with low maternal schooling.</p>

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Assessing the indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on preschool children in Yunnan Province, China: a cross-sectional study

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月28日

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  • Rongrong Xu,
  • Yingquan Song,
  • Weihe Guan,
  • Peter Rohloff,
  • Chunling Lu

摘要

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected young children’s health and development. Comprehensive assessments of the indirect impact of the pandemic on preschool children in China are still lacking.

Methods

We used survey data collected in August 2020 in Yunnan, one of the least developed provinces in China, consisting of 34,068 preschool children aged 3–7 from 305 kindergartens. We estimated the prevalence of caregiver-reportedindirect impacts of COVID-19 on a child’s health. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the reported outcomes.

Results

Of the children, 27% were reported experiencing negative COVID-19 impacts on health (being moody 12%, substantial weight gain 9%, or being obsessed with online games 13%). Significant socioeconomic inequalities in the outcomes were observed. Children disabled/with special needs (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.32 to1.58), or children with household economic deterioration (OR = 2.54, 95% CI 2.38 to 2.71) were more likely to be reported with negative impact on health. Children with college or higher maternal schooling (OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.99) were less likely to be reported with negative impact on health. Children with higher income (more than 100,000 RMB, OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.33), or college or higher maternal schooling (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.59), or left-behind status (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.25), or household economic deterioration (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.33 to 1.57) were more likely to be reported becoming happier.

Conclusion

Our findings reveal a high prevalence of reported negative impact on preschool children during COVID-19, with positive change relatively low. Policymakers should take action to mitigate the negative impacts on disadvantaged preschool children, especially those with disabilities, living in poverty, and with low maternal schooling.