Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom on adolescent's time use (CONTRAST study).

<h4>Background</h4>The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major changes in everyone's lives, including adolescents. Given that adolescence is a crucial developmental stage, designing strategies to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 on adolescents is critical. Furthermore, there is a gro...

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Main Authors: Irina Pokhilenko, Emma Frew, Marie Murphy, Miranda Pallan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310597
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author Irina Pokhilenko
Emma Frew
Marie Murphy
Miranda Pallan
author_facet Irina Pokhilenko
Emma Frew
Marie Murphy
Miranda Pallan
author_sort Irina Pokhilenko
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major changes in everyone's lives, including adolescents. Given that adolescence is a crucial developmental stage, designing strategies to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 on adolescents is critical. Furthermore, there is a growing literature on the relationship between how adolescents spend their time and impact upon health, nutrition, educational attainment and overall well-being outcomes, and the existence of a socioeconomic gradient with how time is allocated. Therefore, this study explored changes in adolescents' time use during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK and the relationship between these changes and individual-level socioeconomic indicators including family affluence, free school meal eligibility, and food insecurity.<h4>Methods</h4>The data were collected from 11-15-year-olds using an online survey, which contained questions on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic indicators, and time use across a range of activities before and during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Changes in time use in relation to socioeconomic indicators were explored using descriptive and regression analysis.<h4>Results</h4>687 adolescents completed the survey. There was an overall decrease in the amount of time spent on school work, an increase in screen time, and an increase in sleep duration during the week. Descriptive analysis showed evidence of inequalities with changes in time use. In adjusted regression analyses, family affluence was associated with a greater increase in time spent on socialising with household members and a decrease in time spent on exercise. Free school meal eligibility and experience of food insecurity were associated with an increase in sleep duration.<h4>Discussion</h4>This study contributes to the body of evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people and suggests that some of the pre-lockdown inequalities in time allocation were attenuated as a result of the lockdown. Furthermore, the results underscore the need for longer term surveillance to monitor changes in time use in adolescents to mitigate the impact on outcomes over the life course.
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spelling doaj-art-b289b5b4e8fb4a329e3288d4be9f34672025-02-05T05:31:23ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01201e031059710.1371/journal.pone.0310597Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom on adolescent's time use (CONTRAST study).Irina PokhilenkoEmma FrewMarie MurphyMiranda Pallan<h4>Background</h4>The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major changes in everyone's lives, including adolescents. Given that adolescence is a crucial developmental stage, designing strategies to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 on adolescents is critical. Furthermore, there is a growing literature on the relationship between how adolescents spend their time and impact upon health, nutrition, educational attainment and overall well-being outcomes, and the existence of a socioeconomic gradient with how time is allocated. Therefore, this study explored changes in adolescents' time use during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK and the relationship between these changes and individual-level socioeconomic indicators including family affluence, free school meal eligibility, and food insecurity.<h4>Methods</h4>The data were collected from 11-15-year-olds using an online survey, which contained questions on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic indicators, and time use across a range of activities before and during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Changes in time use in relation to socioeconomic indicators were explored using descriptive and regression analysis.<h4>Results</h4>687 adolescents completed the survey. There was an overall decrease in the amount of time spent on school work, an increase in screen time, and an increase in sleep duration during the week. Descriptive analysis showed evidence of inequalities with changes in time use. In adjusted regression analyses, family affluence was associated with a greater increase in time spent on socialising with household members and a decrease in time spent on exercise. Free school meal eligibility and experience of food insecurity were associated with an increase in sleep duration.<h4>Discussion</h4>This study contributes to the body of evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people and suggests that some of the pre-lockdown inequalities in time allocation were attenuated as a result of the lockdown. Furthermore, the results underscore the need for longer term surveillance to monitor changes in time use in adolescents to mitigate the impact on outcomes over the life course.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310597
spellingShingle Irina Pokhilenko
Emma Frew
Marie Murphy
Miranda Pallan
Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom on adolescent's time use (CONTRAST study).
PLoS ONE
title Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom on adolescent's time use (CONTRAST study).
title_full Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom on adolescent's time use (CONTRAST study).
title_fullStr Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom on adolescent's time use (CONTRAST study).
title_full_unstemmed Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom on adolescent's time use (CONTRAST study).
title_short Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom on adolescent's time use (CONTRAST study).
title_sort impact of the covid 19 lockdown in the united kingdom on adolescent s time use contrast study
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310597
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