Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39379176›Full record

ArticlePediatric obesity2024

Effects of school closure on lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes in children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile: A time-matched analysis.

Mónica Suárez-Reyes, Rodrigo Fernández-Verdejo, Daiana Quintiliano, Anna Cristina Pinheiro, Tito Pizarro

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric obesity, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Alterations in peripheral CD4Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025
    Article
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

5 authors.

Mónica Suárez-ReyesPennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5663-4673
Rodrigo Fernández-VerdejoPennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
Daiana QuintilianoCarrera de Nutrición y Dietética, Facultad de Medicina-Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
Anna Cristina PinheiroCarrera de Nutrición y Dietética, Facultad de Medicina-Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
Tito PizarroEscuela de Ciencias de la Actividad Física, el Deporte y la Salud, Universidad de Santiago, Santiago, Chile.

Funding

The Louisiana Center for Advancing Uplifting Scientists Careers in Health, Nutrition, Obesity, and Diabetes Research (LAUNCHED)U24DK132740 · NIDDK · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · PI Peter Todd Katzmarzyk, Robert Lee Newton · 2022 to 2026
$3.4M
Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico IT18I0016NIDDK NIH HHS U24 DK132740
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to school closures, potentially impairing children's behaviours and health. We aimed to explore the effects of school closure on lifestyle behaviours (dietary habits, physical activity) and health outcomes (adiposity, fitness, self-esteem, self-concept) in children.

methodsWe measured 247 children before school closure (October-November 2019) and after school reopening (October-November 2021) (COVID-19 group). To distinguish the changes due to school closure from changes due to growth, we included 655 age-matched children with cross-sectional measurements in October-November 2019 (control group). The response of this group (i.e., differences between children with 2 years of difference) was considered the expected response to growth. Two-way ANOVA was used to test age-by-group interactions, indicating an effect of school closure.

resultsIn 7-to-9-year-old children, the COVID-19 group had larger-than-expected decreases in physical activity (by 0.4 points), resulting in higher physical inactivity prevalence (by 19 percent points) at 9 years. This was accompanied by larger-than-expected increases in fat percentage (by 6.1 percent point). In 8-to-10-year-old children, the COVID-19 group had higher physical inactivity prevalence at 10 years (by 20 percent points). This was accompanied by larger-than-expected increases in fat percentage (by 8.3 percent points), z-score BMI (by 0.90 units), and waist circumference (by 6.1 cm). In 9-to-11-year-old children, the COVID-19 group had larger-than-expected decreases in physical activity (by 0.3 points) and increases in self-concept (by 0.2 points). The response in dietary habits, fitness, or self-esteem was not different between groups.

conclusionOverall, school closure negatively impacted physical activity and adiposity, particularly in the youngest children.

Indexed as

COVID-19ExerciseLife StyleSARS-CoV-2SchoolsAdiposityChildChileCross-Sectional StudiesFeeding BehaviorFemaleHealth BehaviorHumansMalePandemicsPediatric Obesitychildhood obesityhealth behavioursschoolchildren

Identifiers

PMID39379176
PMCPMC11560478

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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.