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Welsh study shows impact of Covid on 10- and 11-year-olds

Children in the UK ate fewer vegetables, took less exercise and experienced worsening emotional difficulties following the Covid outbreak, according to a research study.

A biennial survey conducted by investigators at Cardiff University found that primary school-age children reported a sharp increase in “elevated or clinically significant emotional difficulties” in early 2021, compared with the same survey conducted in 2019.

The survey between April and June found that 27% of children in year 6 showed significant emotional difficulties, compared with just 17% in 2019, while reporting little change in behavioural difficulties. Children from poorer backgrounds were nearly twice as likely to report emotional and behavioural difficulties compared to those from affluent families.

Kelly Morgan, a social science research fellow at Cardiff, said the impact of the pandemic was likely to leave a “lifelong footprint” on the mental health of children as they grew older, based on evidence from previous international studies.

“From our findings, children and their families were extensively affected over the course of the pandemic,” Morgan said. “We know that it was illegal for children to meet others to play at some points, but also that children were deeply concerned about the health of their family and others.”

The survey highlighted the important role schools have played during and after the pandemic. Of the children surveyed, 90% said they felt cared for by their teachers and 80% said there was at least one adult in school they could talk to.

Read more of Richard Adams’ report here: Welsh study shows impact of Covid on 10- and 11-year-olds



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Hong Kong expects border with mainland China to reopen in February



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