Pandemic School Closures Have More Negative Impacts on Kids Than Just Poorer Grades

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted by the StudyFinds.

School closures during the pandemic have had a negative impact on children in many different ways — going beyond academics, a new study warns.

A team from the Children’s National Hospital says enforced online learning during COVID lockdowns has led to a host of consequences for youngsters including disengagement, mental health challenges, unhealthy weight gain, food insecurity, and even an increase in the onset of type 2 diabetes.

“The toll that school closures and social isolation have had on kids’ mental health cannot be overstated,” Dr. Danielle Dooley, medical director of Community Affairs and Population Health in the Child Health Advocacy Institute, tells SWNS in a statement.

“As the latest Omicron wave has shown, these discussions are not behind us. We must continue to fully weigh how each decision can impact the lives of children.”

In the new report, Dr. Dooley and fellow researchers urge that society needs to balance measures to contain COVID-19, while “supporting the physical and mental health of kids.”

The report is published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Source: StudyFinds
https://www.studyfinds.org/pandemic-school-closures-negative/