Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to special circumstances and changes to everyday life due to the worldwide measures that were imposed such as lockdowns. This review aims to evaluate obesity in children, adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A literature search was conducted to evaluate pertinent studies up to 10 November 2020. Results: A total of 15 articles were eligible; 9 identified 17,028,111 children, adolescents and young adults from 5–25 years old, 5 pertained to studies with an age admixture (n = 20,521) and one study included parents with children 5–18 years old (n = 584). During the COVID-19 era, children, adolescents and young adults gained weight. Changes in dietary behaviors, increased food intake and unhealthy food choices including potatoes, meat and sugary drinks were noted during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Food insecurity associated with financial reasons represents another concern. Moreover, as the restrictions imposed reduced movements out of the house, physical activity was limited, representing another risk factor for weight gain. Conclusions: COVID-19 restrictions disrupted the everyday routine of children, adolescents and young adults and elicited changes in their eating behaviors and physical activity. To protect them, health care providers should highlight the risk of obesity and provide prevention strategies, ensuring also parental participation. Worldwide policies, guidelines and precautionary measures should ideally be established.

As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, conventional ways of schooling were not possible, and in order to continue the educational process new digital resources, such as online learning platforms, were imposed. Although virtual courses provided high-quality educational material, the efficiency in children’s and adolescents’ academic performance in general is yet to be known. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine whether the academic performance of school-aged students was impacted or not through online learning and modified educational methods during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to the studies, either students suffered from learning losses comparing to pre-pandemic years or, in some cases, they benefited from online learning, especially in mathematics. Younger students and students with neurodevelopmental disorders or special education needs seemed to suffer more. Parents/caregivers reported that their children’s performance deteriorated, while others thought that online learning was beneficial. Teachers also reported that students presented academic gaps and difficulties in mathematics and reading compared to typical years. Consequently, the new ways of schooling imposed by the restrictions have not been fully tested and the impact cannot be described thoroughly. The investment in technological equipment in schools for the majority of students, along with the training of teachers in digital competence, should be a priority.

Play is a key factor for children’s healthy psychological, emotional, social, and cognitive development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been postulated that children’s play was affected, not only regarding the time children spent playing but also in terms of the qualitative characteristics of play. The aim of this review was to investigate how children’s play has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. A review was conducted in the PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, SCOPUS, ERIC, PsycInfo, and JSTOR databases up to 6 December 2020. Furthermore, references of eligible studies as well as of relevant articles were searched using a snowballing technique. The search retrieved 17 eligible studies, conducted in Europe and North America. In general, outdoor play was reduced during the pandemic; on the other hand, there was an increase in indoor play and in videogames-screen time. COVID-19 was present in children’s pretend play. Children’s play was a key contributor to children’s mood and wellbeing. Furthermore, teachers were especially concerned about how children’s play was affected during the lockdown measures. There is evidence that children’s play habits were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic; further research is required, especially cross-culturally oriented.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been postulated that the sexual life of adolescent and young adults has been impacted in various aspects, potentially affecting their well-being. Our aim is to investigate the potential changes in the sexual activity and relationships of adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, a decrease in sexual desire was reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, in both genders. Fewer sexual intercourses and bonding behaviors between partners were associated with loneliness and depressive symptoms. On the contrary, an increase in sexual desire was expressed in a few people, with masturbation to be the most preferable means of satisfaction. The present paper highlights the multifaceted impact of COVID-19 upon the sexual life of adolescents and young adults during the ongoing pandemic. The changes observed in their sexual activity and relationships, could provide the basis of future preventive and educational programs.

Various factors such as family relationships, socioeconomic indicators, socio-cultural aspects, mental health problems and demographic variables, have been associated with internalizing problems in adolescence. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of internalizing problems in adolescents from five European countries in comparison with risk factors. Using data from the European Network for Adolescent Behavior (EU NET ADB) survey, a cross-sectional school-based study of adolescents (from 14 to 17.9 years) was conducted. Data were retrieved from self-report questionnaires derived from Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland and Romania. Multiple logistic regression analysis overall and by country was held through estimation of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). A total of 8952 adolescents participated in the study. According to the results, Greece (7.6%) and Romania (2.4%) presented with the lowest rates of internalizing problems, while Iceland presented the highest (11.1%). Internalizing problems were associated with lower school grades (adjusted OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08–1.36), while the higher education level of parents was associated with lower odds of internalizing problems (adjusted OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62–0.92). In country-specific analyses, factors that affected the likelihood of internalizing problems were gender, age, maternal and paternal unemployment. Variations detected in adolescents’ internalizing problems were determined by the socio-cultural context of each country. Cultural differences should be addressed thoroughly in further research, in order to better understand and intervene in aspects of internalizing problems in adolescence.

Fear of COVID-19, especially in vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, created excessive concern leading to unexpected psycho-emotional consequences and a need to summarize the most recent knowledge about this topic. Therefore, we conducted a narrative review of the relevant literature, synthesizing data from available databases.  According to the findings of this review, pregnant women during COVID-19 pandemic were more anxious and depressed mainly due to the fear of contacting the virus, restricting measures, and concerns about the health of their unborn children. The elevated stress levels in pregnant women due to the pandemic could represent risk factors for physical health complications. Thus, strategies including relaxation, mindfulness, acceptance, and positive attitude to COVID-19 should be promoted for pregnant women.