Childcare Disruptions and Parental Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Chuyun Xu, Eliza Loren Purdue, Robert Sege and 2 others
PMID 38117684WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers who experienced more disruptions to their children's lives, such as school or daycare closures, reported significantly higher levels of stress.
Women, those with lower household incomes, and caregivers with a history of adverse childhood experiences were also at greater risk for pandemic-related stress.
Key findings
01For every one-item increase in the number of COVID-19 disruptions in children's lives, the adjusted odds of a caregiver feeling nervous or stressed increased by 20%.
02Caregivers who reported that their household financial situation was negatively impacted by the pandemic had 3.05 times higher odds of feeling nervous or stressed compared to those whose finances stayed the same.
03Women had 60% higher odds of feeling nervous or stressed compared to men.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The survey was conducted through an opt-in internet panel, which may not accurately reflect the experiences of the whole US population, particularly those without internet access. The survey was only available in English, potentially excluding many affected families. As a cross-sectional study, causality cannot be inferred; it is unclear whether disruptions caused stress or if other factors contributed to both. The psychometric properties of the specific survey items used are unknown, as they were selected from various validated measures but not tested as a unified instrument. The study did not account for whether single parents were sole caregivers or if additional adults were present in the home.
Declared interests
The survey was conducted for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in collaboration with the CDC, Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA), and the Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) National Resource Center at Tufts Medicine. Data collection was administered by YouGov. No specific financial conflicts of interest for individual authors were declared in the text provided.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that engaging in stress-relieving activities like yoga or meditation caused increased stress. The study found an association, but it is likely that caregivers who were already stressed were more motivated to seek out these activities.