The Hidden Effects of Lockdown on Child Health: Evidence from Madrid’s ASOMAD Study

Abstract

COVID-19-related restrictions disrupted children’s lifestyle habits, leading to significant changes in health behaviours. The ASOMAD study aimed to analyse the consequences of these restriction in lifestyle habits of children aged 8–12 in Madrid over three waves (three academic years). The results showed that approximately 20% of boys were overweight during and after the pandemic, with similar trends observed in girls (14.7% and 18.2%, respectively). Obesity rates for boys were high in the first wave (20.1%) but dropped to less than 10% in subsequent waves, while girls’ rates remained stable. Physical activity levels decreased significantly, with 87.6% of girls failing to meet daily activity recommendations by the third wave. Boys exhibited worse adherence to recommended screen time limits than girls, particularly on weekends, where over 90% of boys exceeded guidelines. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet remained low, with over 50% of the sample categorized in medium- or low-adherence groups across all waves. In conclusion, lockdown may have increased sedentary behaviour, poor diet, and excessive screen time in children. The damage persistency, due to mobility restriction, affected some of the healthy lifestyle variables in our sample three years after.