https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2608-7795
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ABSTRACT
The article presents preliminary findings from a family survey about children’s experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown, which was administered through the pediatric network SICuPP (Italian Society of Primary Care Pediatricians – Lombardy) in Northern Italy. The study involved 3443 parents with children aged from 1 to 5 years and from 6 to 10 years living in Lombardy region, the earliest and most severely affected by the COVID-19 emergency. All participants completed an online questionnaire and provided informed consent. Respondents generally displayed confidence and a sense of self-efficacy in relation to how they had coped with the COVID-19 emergency, despite the many difficulties encountered during the lockdown. They reported having observed some unexpected improvements and resources (e.g. parent/child and sibling relationships, adaptiveness and autonomy on the part of children). Parent-to-parent solidarity was commonly reported, although a small percentage of parents had experienced a greater sense of isolation and anxiety. Finally, the study indicated ‘key areas of vulnerability’ (concerning, for example, eating, rules, sleeping, use of technological devices, fears …) that should be monitored in future by strengthening the territorial network linking families, educational services, and health services.
Acknowledgments
The study was conducted by an interdisciplinary group of researchers affiliated with the Italian Society of Primary Care Pediatricians – Lombardy branch (SICuPP) and Department of Human Science for Education "R.Massa" at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Unimib). Principal investigators were: Marina Picca (SICuPP) and Susanna Mantovani (Unimib). In addition to the listed authors, further participants and contributors: Piera Braga, Andrea Mangiatordi, Donata Ripamonti and Guido Veronese of Unimib and Claudio Cravidi, Danila Mariani, Angela Mezzopane and Roberto Marinello of SICuPP-Lombardy. This study would not have been possible without the generous cooperation of pediatricians and of all the families who took part in the survey. We are also grateful for the valuable advice and support of SICuPP-Lombardy during the data collection phase of our research.
Conceptualization and project administration, Susanna Mantovani, Marina Picca; methodology, Susanna Mantovani, Paolo Ferri and Chiara Bove; formal analysis, Chiara Bove, Paolo Ferri; data collection Marina Picca, Paola Manzoni, Anna Cesa Bianchi; discussion, all authors; edit and review: Chiara Bove.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
2 MIUR 2020. Commissione Infanzia e sistema Integrato Zero-sei, ORIENTAMENTI PEDAGOGICI SUI LEAD. LEGAMI EDUCATIVI A DISTANZA). https://miur.gov.it(web/guest/orientamenti-pedagogici-sui-lead
3 In total, 48 closed questions for the parents of 1- to 5-year-olds and 59 for the parents of 6- to 10-year-olds.
4 The following statement appeared on the first page of the questionnaire: ‘The data collected will be used anonymously and in aggregate form only, so that it will not be possible to identify in any way the data of individual respondents, for research reports and scientific publications, in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation GDPR) n. 679/2016, and D.gls. [Decree] n.196/2003 "Personal Data Protection Code" (amended by D.gls. [Decree] n. 101 of 10.08.2018). For further information, please contact Prof. Paolo Ferri (paolo.ferri@unimib.it)’.
5 Data collection ended on August 31, 2020.