Perceptions and experiences of 7-8 year old schoolchildren in the Basque Country during the COVID-19 health alert

November 4, 2022

Tíscar, G. V., Santiago, G. J., Moreno,C. T., Zorrilla, M. I., Nonide, R. M., Portuondo, J. J.

Gac Sanit, Barcelona

The first cases of COVID-19 in Spain were reported in February 2020, and on March 14, given the health situation, a state of alarm was declared, adopting restrictive social measures in order to contain the spread of the virus. This situation, unprecedented in our society, included the closure of schools and the confinement of people in their homes. Their goal was to limit transmission and reduce secondary infections among close contacts and health workers. The objective of this study is to explore the experiences of schoolchildren aged 7-8 years in an exceptional situation of health alert in which strict confinement measures have been applied to the population, this through an exploratory qualitative study through the analysis of illustrations made by 71 schoolchildren aged 7-8 years. The analysis was carried out according to Rose's theoretical framework. Five categories emerged from the content analysis: 1) feelings of sadness and fear; 2) importance of the family nucleus, security and protection; 3) sedentary life habits during confinement; 4) housing infrastructure and social inequalities (life behind a window); and 5) social response, collective struggle and health professionals, for which it was determined that the strict confinement measures have had a significant impact on the school population, which is the one that has experienced the greatest restrictions. The infrastructure of the home has been shown to be a clear differentiator that deepens social inequalities and the impact that the situation has on schoolchildren. It is necessary to expand studies on the psychosocial impact that this situation will have in the long term on their physical and mental health.

Tíscar, G. V., Santiago, G. J., Moreno,C. T., Zorrilla, M. I., Nonide, R. M., Portuondo, J. J. Perceptions and experiences of 7-8 year old schoolchildren in the Basque Country during the COVID-19 health alert. Gac Sanit 36 (1), 19-24

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