Remote and Hybrid Schooling During COVID-19: Associations with Child Behavior and Sleep.
Kimberley J Levitt, Tiffany Munzer, Chioma Torres and 3 others
PMID 35583945WHAT IT FOUND
Parents reported that elementary children in remote schooling had more hyperactivity, peer problems, and total behavior difficulties than those in-person.
Remote learners also showed later sleep midpoints and higher odds of co-sleeping. Hybrid learners had fewer issues than remote, but some social deficits remained.
Key findings
01Children receiving remote instruction had significantly higher SDQ Hyperactivity, Peer Problems, and Total Difficulties scores compared to in-person instruction, and higher Conduct Problems and Total Difficulties compared to hybrid instruction.
02Remote learners showed later sleep midpoints and higher odds of co-sleeping compared to in-person or hybrid learners.
03Parent depression symptoms were not significantly associated with school format after adjusting for covariates.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Cross-sectional design prevents causal inference. Convenience sample was not broadly representative of Michigan residents. Child sleep and learning-related experiences were measured using non-validated scales created for the study. Reliance on parental report introduces single reporter bias. SDQ Peer Problems and Conduct Problems internal consistency scores were low (< .70). School format variable did not quantify the proportion of the school year spent in each format.
Declared interests
None declared. Study supported by NIH and non-US government sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that hybrid schooling is equivalent to in-person schooling for all outcomes. While SDQ scores did not differ significantly between hybrid and in-person groups, hybrid learners still showed some social deficits (e.g., less classmate familiarity) compared to in-person learners, and children in hybrid formats with material hardships had higher hyperactivity than remote learners.