Greek children’s views of COVID-19 preventive practices

VASILIA CHRISTIDOU, PINELOPI PAPADOPOULOU, FOTINI BONOTI

Abstract

This paper explores 4- to 9-year-old children’s views of the COVID-19 pandemic preventive practices. The sample consisted of 189 children from different parts of Greece, who expressed their views verbally and through drawings. Content data analysis yielded different categories of preventive practices falling within two main themes: Hygienic (e.g., handwashing), and Social (e.g., staying at home). Overall, children proposed appropriate practices, in line with official guidelines and previous research findings. Moreover, they seem to focus on social preventive practices more than hygienic ones. Age-related differences as well as differences between the two modes of expression were also recorded.

Keywords

Children, COVID-19, preventive practices

Full Text:

PDF

References

Assante, G. M., & Candel, O. S. (2020). Students’ views on the Covid-19 pandemic: Attitudes, representations, and coping mechanisms. Postmodern Openings, 11(4), 347-365.

Avila, M. A., Hamamoto Filho, P. T., Jacob, F. L. D. S., Alcantara, L. R. S., Berghammer, M., Jenholt Nolbris, M., ... & Nilsson, S. (2020). Children’s anxiety and factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic: An exploratory study using the children’s anxiety questionnaire and the numerical rating scale. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(16), 5757. doi:10.3390/ijerph17165757.

Berasategi, N., Idoiaga, N., Dosil, M., & Eiguren, A. (2020). Design and validation of a scale for measuring well-being of children in lockdown (WCL). Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2225. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02225.

Berasategi Sancho, N. B., Mondragon, N. I., Santamaria, M. D., & Munitis, A. E. (2021). The well-being of children in lock-down: Physical, emotional, social and academic impact. Children and Youth Services Review, 127. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106085.

Bray, L., Carter, B., Blake, L., Saron, H., Kirton, J. A., Robichaud, F., ... & Protheroe, J. (2021a). “People play it down and tell me it can’t kill people, but I know people are dying each day”. Children’s health literacy relating to a global pandemic (COVID-19); an international cross sectional study. PLoS ONE, 16(2), e0246405. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246405.

Bray, L., Blake, L., Protheroe, J., Nafria, B., Avila, M. A. G., Ångström-Brännström, C., ... & Carter, B. (2021b). Children’s pictures of COVID-19 and measures to mitigate its spread: An international qualitative study. Health Education Journal. doi: 10.1177/00178969211019459.

Cordovil, R., Ribeiro, L., Moreira, M., Pombo, A., Rodrigues, L.-P., Luz, C., Veiga, G., & Lopes, F. (2021). Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on preschool children and preschools in Portugal. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 21(1), 492–499.

Driessnack, M., & Gallo, A. M. (2013). Children 'draw-and-tell' their knowledge of genetics. Pediatric Nursing, 39(4), 173-180.

Folino, C. H., Alvaro, M. V., Massarani, L., & Chagas, C. (2021). A percepção de crianças cariocas sobre a pandemia de COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 e os vírus em geral. Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 37(4), e00304320. doi: 10.1590/0102-311X00304320.

Idoiaga, N., Berasategi, N., Eiguren, A., & Picaza, M. (2020). Exploring children’s social and emotional representations of the Covid-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1952. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01952.

Idoiaga Mondragon, N., Berasategi Sancho, N., Eiguren Munitis, Α., & Dosil Santamaria, M. (2021). Exploring the social and emotional representations used by students from the University of the Basque Country to face the first outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Health Education Research, 36(2), 159-169. doi: 10.1093/her/cyab006.

Kayemba, C. N., Bukenya, J., & Tusubira, A. (2020). Exploring children’s understanding of COVID-19 and its preventive strategies in Uganda: A cross sectional study among children aged 10-13 years in Hoima District. Study summary. Retrieved from https://sph.mak.ac.ug/sites/default/files/202011/maksph_covid19_children_study_summary_nov_25_final_1.pdf.

Melo, C. F., Almeida, A. M. B., Lins, S. L. B., Aquino, S. D., Costa, I. M., & Morais, J. C. C. (2021). Giving meaning to the pandemic: What do Brazilians think about the new coronavirus? Trends in Psychology. doi:10.1007/s43076-021-00078-y.

Myant, K. A., & Williams, J. M. (2005). Children’s concepts of health and illness: Understanding of contagious illnesses, non-contagious illnesses and injuries. Journal of Health Psychology, 10(6), 805-819.

Soma, G. J. (2020). Communicating to children about the COVID-19 pandemic. South Sudan Medical Journal, 13(2), 60-63.

Valadez, M. D. L. D., López-Aymes, G., Ruvalcaba, N. A., Flores, F., Ortíz, G., Rodríguez, C., & Borges, Á. (2020). Emotions and reactions to the confinement by COVID-19 of children and adolescents with high abilities and community samples: A mixed methods research study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2881. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.585587.


DOI: https://doi.org/10.26220/mje.3664

View Counter: Abstract | 0 | times, and PDF | 0 | times

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Mediterranean Journal of Education | ISSN: 2732-6489 |  Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood EducationUniversity of Patras.

Pasithee | Library & Information Center | University of Patras