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. 2021 Mar 15:12:649481.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.649481. eCollection 2021.

A Mixed Methods Research Study of Parental Perception of Physical Activity and Quality of Life of Children Under Home Lock Down in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Gabriela López-Aymes  1 , María de Los Dolores Valadez  2 , Elena Rodríguez-Naveiras  3 , Doris Castellanos-Simons  1 , Triana Aguirre  4 , África Borges  4
Affiliations

A Mixed Methods Research Study of Parental Perception of Physical Activity and Quality of Life of Children Under Home Lock Down in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Gabriela López-Aymes et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Household confinement due to the rapid spread of the pandemic caused by COVID-19 has brought very significant changes, such as the forced stay-at-home of children due to the closure of schools. This has meant drastic changes in the organization of daily life and restrictions on their activities, including exercise, which could affect the quality of life of the children due to its importance. In order to study the relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being of minors, a study has been carried out with Mixed Methods Research, combining survey methodology with transversal design with qualitative methodology using discourse analysis. A total of 234 parents of minors in Spain and several Spanish-speaking countries in America participated. The instrument was a questionnaire in Google Forms, which included the Kidscreen-27 quality of life scale. The results show significant differences in both the type of physical activity and its frequency due to age, and differences in parents' perception of whether their children's physical activity levels were sufficient or not, both on the health, mood and school subscales, and in the categorization of open responses referring to concerns due to the pandemic, analyzed with the ALCESTE technique. The relationship between physical activity of children and adolescents and quality of life is clearly concluded.

Keywords: home lock down; mixed methods research; pandemic; physical activity; quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Dendogram corresponding to the question “Explain why you have sufficient physical activity.”
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Dendogram corresponding to the question “Explain why you have insufficient physical activity.”
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Dendogram of the question “How did your child live not being able to go outside?” Sufficient physical activity.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Dendogram of the question: “How did your child live not being able to go outside?” Insufficient physical activity.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Dendogram of the answers: What or who does your child miss? Sufficient physical activity.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Dendogram of the answers: “What or who does your child miss?” Insufficient physical activity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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