Impacts of school closure due to COVID-19 on the mobility trend of Japanese citizens

School closure was the only main control measure that Japan took into action from late February to late March in 2020. Accurate evaluation of how Japanese citizens responded to the impact of school closure remains a challenge. Data from the Google COVID-19 Community Mobility Report was used to analyze the mobility trend of Japanese citizens regarding six categories, including retail and recreation, grocery and pharmacy, parks, transit stations, workplace, and residential. The median percentage of mobility in all 47 prefectures of Japan was calculated during five periods of time, including one week before school closure, one week, two weeks, three weeks, and four weeks after school closure. There was a significant decline in the mobility trend of transit stations, grocery and pharmacy, parks, retail and recreation, and workplace at the moment after school closure compared to the prior period. Inversely, the mobility trend in staying at home remarkably increased following the implementation of school closure. Our study determined a significant change in the mobility trend of Japanese citizens before and after school closure. These data reflected the responsibility and the consciousness of Japanese citizens in mitigating COVID-19.

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The Impact of School Closures on Equity of Access in Chicago

Education and Urban Society ◽

10.1177/0013124516630601 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 53-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Jin Lee ◽

Christopher Lubienski

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Race And Ethnicity ◽

School Closure ◽

After School ◽

Poverty Level ◽

School Closures ◽

School Closing ◽

Before And After ◽

Closure Policy ◽

The Impact

This study examines the impact of school closures on the sociospatial distribution of equitable access to schooling following the school closure policy pursued by the Chicago Public Schools in 2013. By examining access in terms of proximity between students and schools, the study estimates the changes in accessibility before and after school closings. The change in accessibility is compared with density maps constructed around a number of variables, including population aged 5 through 14 by race and ethnicity, proportion of families with children younger than 18 years old below the poverty level, and crime incidence during the previous 12 months. The overall results suggest that school closing may cause sociogeographic inequality in access to education.

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Children’s segment specific moderate to vigorous physical activity through a school-initiated physical activity program

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity ◽

10.29359/bjhpa.07.2.02 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 19-32

Author(s):

ARTO GRÅSTÉN

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

After School ◽

Physical Activity Guidelines ◽

School Activities ◽

Before And After ◽

Before School ◽

Out Of School

Background: Since less than one-third of 13-year-olds in many Western countries meet the physical activity guidelines, there is a major need to promote physical activity. The aim of this study was to examine children’s segment specific moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) through the school-initiated program. Material/Methods: The sample comprised 76 Finnish elementary school children. Accelerometers were used to investigate the patterns of segmented MVPA through 2012-2014. Repeated Measures Analysis was implemented to summarize variability between time and segments of MVPA. Results: The examination of children’s MVPA revealed that their total, weekend, and before-school activity were significant predictors for their subsequent activity. Children’s MVPA in physical education classes, before- and after-school, and during school breaks decreased through the program. Both girls and boys accumulated the majority of their weekly MVPA during weekdays and out-of-school. Conclusions: The program provedto be effective in order to sustain children’s total MVPA levels, although physical education, before- and after-school, and recess MVPA decreased through the program. Out-of-school activities seemed to be more important than in-school activities in relation to children’s total MVPA minutes, when they transfer to the higher grades. Attention should be paid to out-of-school, especially weekend, activities.

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An Observation Method for Determining the Number of Children and Adults Walking/Biking to Elementary School

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.3.1.37 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 37-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Richard R. Suminski ◽

Rick L. Petosa ◽

Walker C.S. Poston ◽

Emily Stevens ◽

Laura Katzenmoyer

Keyword(s):

Elementary Schools ◽

After School ◽

Census Tracts ◽

Number Of Children ◽

School Programs ◽

Before And After ◽

Walk To School ◽

Observation Method ◽

Us Census ◽

The Impact

Background:Methods are needed to assess the impact of walk-to-school programs on behavior. This study developed an observation method for counting the number of children and adults walking/biking to school.Methods:Two elementary schools located in different urban, US census tracts were chosen for this study. Six walking/biking routes to each school were observed for 30 min before and after school. Strict guidelines were followed for determining whether a child/adult was counted.Results:Levels of agreement between observers were over 97% for children and adults. Reliability coefficients (R) for two days of observations exceeded 0.90 for children and adults walking. No differences were seen between days of the week or before and after school observation periods (P > 0.05). The number seen walking did depend on the route observed (P < 0.01).Conclusion:This study presents a reliable observation method for determining the number of children and adults walking and biking to/from school.

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How Did Students Perceive Classroom Learning under Strict COVID-19 Pandemic Closures and Restrictions?

ENGLISH EDUCATION JOURNAL OF ENGLISH TEACHING AND RESEARCH ◽

10.29407/jetar.v6i2.16394 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 128-148

Author(s):

Takayoshi Sako

Keyword(s):

Collaborative Learning ◽

English Language ◽

Close Contact ◽

School Closure ◽

After School ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Or Groups ◽

Prevention Guidelines ◽

The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 required strict infection prevention measures worldwide, including school closure. After school reopened, we implemented Japan’s strict COVID measures, under which close contact in pairs or groups, as well as vocalizing in unison, was proscribed, with students having to remain quiet and face the blackboard. This study’s aim is to answer the question of how students felt about learning under such extreme constraints. One of the most noticeable findings from the responses to the survey of the 2020 class was that they felt the lack of collaborative learning experiences; hence, in 2021, we implemented changes that would allow for more collaboration while still adhering to COVID prevention guidelines. Among the various collaborative learning activities in the classroom, students reported that they found value in debate activities that challenged their English language skills and critical thinking. Overall, however, students found comfort and value in a semblance of learning with their peers. It was concluded that even in a volatile and uncertain situation, such as a pandemic, it is crucial to improve environments for collaborative learning. In the future, quantitative study of the impact of collaborative learning on students’ English proficiency will be a useful follow-up study.

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Daily and school physical activity of 16 year-old girls and boys

Health Promotion & Physical Activity ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0012.8669 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 12-19

Author(s):

Dorota Groffik ◽

Karel Frömel ◽

Marta Witek-Chabińska ◽

Rafał Szyja ◽

Radim Žatka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

After School ◽

Before And After ◽

The Difference ◽

Before School ◽

The Relationship ◽

Active Locomotion

The aim of the work was to determine the relationship between school and all-day physical activity of 16-year-old girls and boys based on weekly monitoring using pedometers. The research also took into account the level of all-day physical activity of less and more active pupils before school classes. 169 people were examined, including 93 girls and 76 boys from secondary schools of the Silesian region. The subjects wore a pedometer for 5 school days, recording the number of steps performed in individual segments of the day (time before classes at school, during classes at school and time after completing classes at school) in specially prepared tables. The research results indicated that girls are more active in terms of the number of steps taken on school days from boys. Girls and boys meet the recommendation of the school number of steps in the dimension of 3 000. However, the difference in physical activity was observed, considering the division of respondents into less and more active in time before school classes. Students who are less active in terms of the number of steps taken before the start of classes at school do not meet the recommended school recommendation of physical activity. It is necessary to look for reserves of physical activity throughout the day. In addition to physical education lessons, the school should promote activity during breaks, mid-term exercises or encourage active locomotion before and after school classes. Encouraging an increased number of walks, active transport to/from school, cycling, roller skating among children and adolescents is an important element in the preparation for lifelong activity and a healthy lifestyle.

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Effects of school closure on transmission of COVID-19. A rapid systematic review

Kurdistan Journal of Applied Research ◽

10.24017/covid.12 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 106-111

Author(s):

Zana Faris Muhammed

Keyword(s):

Search Strategy ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

School Closure ◽

After School ◽

Limited Evidence ◽

Exclusion Criteria ◽

Management Measures ◽

The Social ◽

Control And Management ◽

The Impact

Globally school closure is one of the social distancing strategies used to mitigate transmission of pandemic novel corona virus (COVID-19) among school populations. However, there are uncertainties around when, how and for how long schools need to be closed. There is limited evidence for the impact of school closure on the number of cases and spread of COVID-19 to inform management of future outbreaks. Several databases were searched using an adapted search strategy to obtain studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A large number of studies were found and they were quality appraised. Eight good quality studies were identified and these were reviewed. The studies that contained the desired outcomes were three epidemiological studies, and five modeling studies using actual data that making assumptions about changes in transmission dynamics after school closure is applied. The results show that schools were closed for different timings related to the peak epidemics. School closure almost reduced the transmission of the COVID-19. Delay in closing schools and combinations with other control and management measures may affect the likelihood of drawing consistent conclusions about the effectiveness of school closure on COVID-19.

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Time Trends of the Public’s Attention Toward Suicide During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective, Longitudinal Time-Series Study

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance ◽

10.2196/24694 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. e24694

Author(s):

Dayle Burnett ◽

Valsamma Eapen ◽

Ping-I Lin

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Kendall Test ◽

The United States ◽

School Closure ◽

After School ◽

Search Term ◽

School Closures ◽

Search Terms ◽

Before And After ◽

Interest Levels

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health care systems around the world. Emerging evidence has suggested that substantially few patients seek help for suicidality at clinical settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has elicited concerns of an imminent mental health crisis as the course of the pandemic continues to unfold. Clarifying the relationship between the public’s attention to knowledge about suicide and the public’s attention to knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic may provide insight into developing prevention strategies for a putative surge of suicide in relation to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective The goal of this retrospective, longitudinal time-series study is to understand the relationship between temporal trends of interest for the search term “suicide” and those of COVID-19–related terms, such as “social distancing,” “school closure,” and “lockdown.” Methods We used the Google Trends platform to collect data on daily interest levels for search terms related to suicide, several other mental health-related issues, and COVID-19 over the period between February 14, 2020 and May 13, 2020. A correlational analysis was performed to determine the association between the search term ‘‘suicide’’ and COVID-19–related search terms in 16 countries. The Mann-Kendall test was used to examine significant differences between interest levels for the search term “suicide” before and after school closure. Results We found that interest levels for the search term “suicide” statistically significantly inversely correlated with interest levels for the search terms “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in nearly all countries between February 14, 2020 and May 13, 2020. Additionally, search interest for the term ‘‘suicide’’ significantly and negatively correlated with that of many COVID-19–related search terms, and search interest varied between countries. The Mann-Kendall test was used to examine significant differences between search interest levels for the term “suicide” before and after school closure. The Netherlands (P=.19), New Zealand (P=.003), the United Kingdom (P=.006), and the United States (P=.049) showed significant negative trends in interest levels for suicide in the 2-week period preceding school closures. In contrast, interest levels for suicide had a significant positive trend in Canada (P<.001) and the United States (P=.002) after school closures. Conclusions The public’s attention to suicide might inversely correlate with the public’s attention to COVID-19–related issues. Additionally, several anticontagion policies, such as school closure, might have led to a turning point for mental health crises, because the attention to suicidality increased after restrictions were implemented. Our results suggest that an increased risk of suicidal ideation may ensue due to the ongoing anticontagion policies. Timely intervention strategies for suicides should therefore be an integral part of efforts to flatten the epidemic curve.

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The effect of control measures on COVID-19 transmission in South Korea

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0249262 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. e0249262

Author(s):

Taeyong Lee ◽

Hee-Dae Kwon ◽

Jeehyun Lee

Keyword(s):

Transmission Rate ◽

School Closure ◽

Control Measures ◽

After School ◽

Epidemic Threshold ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Control And Prevention ◽

Age Structured ◽

Net Reproduction ◽

The Impact

Countries around the world have taken control measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including Korea. Social distancing is considered an essential strategy to reduce transmission in the absence of vaccination or treatment. While interventions have been successful in controlling COVID-19 in Korea, maintaining the current restrictions incurs great social costs. Thus, it is important to analyze the impact of different polices on the spread of the epidemic. To model the COVID-19 outbreak, we use an extended age-structured SEIR model with quarantine and isolation compartments. The model is calibrated to age-specific cumulative confirmed cases provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Four control measures—school closure, social distancing, quarantine, and isolation—are investigated. Because the infectiousness of the exposed has been controversial, we study two major scenarios, considering contributions to infection of the exposed, the quarantined, and the isolated. Assuming the transmission rate would increase more than 1.7 times after the end of social distancing, a second outbreak is expected in the first scenario. The epidemic threshold for increase of contacts between teenagers after school reopening is 3.3 times, which brings the net reproduction number to 1. The threshold values are higher in the second scenario. If the average time taken until isolation and quarantine reduces from three days to two, cumulative cases are reduced by 60% and 47% in the first scenario, respectively. Meanwhile, the reduction is 33% and 41%, respectively, for rapid isolation and quarantine in the second scenario. Without social distancing, a second wave is possible, irrespective of whether we assume risk of infection by the exposed. In the non-infectivity of the exposed scenario, early detection and isolation are significantly more effective than quarantine. Furthermore, quarantining the exposed is as important as isolating the infectious when we assume that the exposed also contribute to infection.

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Divorce in families of children with Down Syndrome or Rett Syndrome

Ciência & Saúde Coletiva ◽

10.1590/1413-81232015205.13932014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 1363-1369 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Vivian Renne Gerber Lederman ◽

Bianca dos Santos Alves ◽

Juliana Negrão ◽

José Salomão Schwartzman ◽

Maria Eloisa Famá D'Antino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Down Syndrome ◽

Marital Status ◽

Rett Syndrome ◽

Divorce Rate ◽

Children With Down Syndrome ◽

Before And After ◽

The Stability ◽

The Moment ◽

The Impact ◽

Relevant Factors

This study evaluates the impact in the stability and management of the marriage of parents of a child with Down or Rett Syndrome. Morbidity of the syndromes and the marital status of the couples before and after the birth of the affected children were considered variables. The divorce rate in families with Down syndrome was 10%, similar to the Brazilian rate population. In Rett Syndrome, the divorce rate was significantly higher, 23.5%. The higher morbidity of Rett Syndrome, and the moment of diagnosis could be relevant factors for the increased divorce rate related to this syndrome.

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The impact of Coronavirus disease 19 on emergency volume in Northern Taiwan

10.22514/sv.2021.215 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Significant Decline ◽

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital ◽

Triage Category ◽

Pandemic Planning ◽

Before And After ◽

The Impact ◽

Northern Taiwan

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed the way communities and groups use the emergency department (ED). The purpose of this study is to evaluate changes in ED volume for different triage categories in three tertiary Chang Gung Memorial Hospital branches in Northern Taiwan before and after the spread of COVID-19. A decline of ED volume of about 20 to 25 percent was observed for all three branches during the study period. Statistically significant decline in total ED volume in all triage categories across the three branches was observed except triage category 1 for Keelung and triage category 5 for Linko. These exceptions were most likely due to the geographical location and proximity to other hospitals. The trends observed in this study regarding ED use during the COVID-19 pandemic period could better prepare resource management in hospitals, allocate medical staff, and may guide future pandemic planning.

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