583 - Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Children’s Health Behaviors: Insights from Community-Based Organizations

Publication Number: 4571.583

Mai Baalbaki, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Berkeley, CA, United States; Chiamaka K. Onwuli, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Elk Grove, CA, United States; Milagro Escobar, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States; Juan Raul. Gutierrez, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States; Alicia Fernandez, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Amy Beck, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted widespread changes to children's daily routines. Community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve youth provide critical support around social, educational, and nutritional needs. Insights from CBO staff members who interact daily with youth are rarely captured in academic literature.

Objective: To use qualitative methods to understand the perspectives of staff members working at youth-serving CBOs on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted children's health behaviors.

Design/Methods: From November 2023 to September 2024, we conducted eleven semi-structured interviews and one focus group (n=5) with staff members from CBOs that provide after-school and summer programming to low-income children in San Francisco, CA. We explored participants' perceptions of how the pandemic impacted youth screentime, physical activity, and nutritional habits, and to what degree these changes have persisted. In addition, we probed the current needs of CBOs for supporting physical activity and healthy eating. The focus group and interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an inductive thematic approach.

Results: Three major themes related to health behaviors emerged: 1. Youth screentime increased during the pandemic and has remained elevated, negatively affecting psychosocial well-being. Increased screentime has led to reduced comfort with in-person socialization, addictive patterns of technology use, and emotional regulation through technology. 2. Increased youth screen time supplanted physical activity, with children less willing and/or able to participate in sustained physical play. 3. Views on eating behaviors were mixed; some participants observed worsening eating habits, while others did not. Food insecurity and food deserts were seen as primary drivers of eating behaviors rather than the pandemic. Participants identified organizational needs for additional equipment and trained instructors to promote physical activity, and increased funding to expand nutrition education and access to healthy food.

Conclusion(s): CBO staff serving low-income youth in San Francisco observed significant and persistent increases in children's screen time since the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to impact emotional and physical health. Unhealthy eating patterns were also noted, though primarily attributed to food insecurity and food deserts. These findings suggest ongoing impacts of the pandemic on children's well-being and a need for targeted support to reduce children's screen time, address related mental health concerns, and improve access to healthy food.

Demographics of Interviewees.


Enduring Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth Health Behaviors.


Current Organizational Needs and Resource Gaps Identified by CBOs to Support Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition.