Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37334330›Full record

ArticleSSM - population health2023

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inequalities in lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing of elementary school children in northern Canada.

Katerina Maximova, Xiuyun Wu, Mohammed K A Khan, Julia Dabravolskaj, Shannon Sim, Boshra Mandour, Roman Pabayo, Paul J Veugelers

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in SSM - population health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The potential of a national school food program to reduce dietary inequalities among children in Canada.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Katerina MaximovaMAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1T8, Canada.
Xiuyun WuSchool of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-50E University Terrace, 8303 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1K4, Canada.
Mohammed K A KhanDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St Room 500, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada.
Julia DabravolskajSchool of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-50E University Terrace, 8303 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1K4, Canada.
Shannon SimSchool of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-50E University Terrace, 8303 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1K4, Canada.
Boshra MandourSchool of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-50E University Terrace, 8303 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1K4, Canada.
Roman PabayoSchool of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-50E University Terrace, 8303 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1K4, Canada.
Paul J VeugelersSchool of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-50E University Terrace, 8303 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1K4, Canada.
University of Alberta · CASt. Michael's Hospital · CAUniversity of Toronto · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected children's lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing, and concerns have been raised that COVID-19 has also increased health inequalities. No study to date has quantified the impact of COVID-19 on health inequalities among children. We compared pre-pandemic vs. post-lockdown inequalities in lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing among children living in rural and remote northern communities. Methods: We surveyed 473 grade 4-6 students (9-12 years of age) from 11 schools in rural and remote communities in northern Canada in 2018 (pre-pandemic), and 443 grade 4-6 students from the same schools in 2020 (post-lockdown). The surveys included questions on sedentary behaviours, physical activity, dietary intake, and mental health and wellbeing. We measured inequality in these behaviors using the Gini coefficient, a unitless measure ranging from 0 to 1 with a higher value indicating greater inequality. We used temporal changes (2020 vs. 2018) in Gini coefficients to assess the impact of COVID-19 on inequalities in lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing separately among girls and boys. Results: Inequalities in all examined lifestyle behaviours increased between 2018 and 2020. Inequalities in watching TV, playing video games, and using a cell phone increased among girls, while inequalities in playing video games, using computers and tablets, and consumption of sugar, salt, saturated fat and total fat increased among boys. Changes in inequalities in mental health and wellbeing were small and not statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in lifestyle behaviours among children living in rural and remote northern communities. If not addressed, these differences may translate into exacerbated inequalities in future health. The findings further suggest that school health programs can help mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing.

Indexed as

ChildrenCOVID-19Health inequalitiesLifestyle behavioursMental health and wellbeingNutritionPhysical activityPublic healthSedentary behaviours

Identifiers

PMID37334330
PMCPMC10260266
OpenAlexW4380368994

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.