Introduction: COVID-19 lockdown measures resulted in children and adolescents staying and learning at home. This study investigated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its associated factors among youth during the first lockdown. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 8- to 18-year-olds from the French Grand Est region. Sociodemographic data and information on living and learning conditions were collected using an online survey. HRQoL was assessed using the KIDSCREEN-27. Multiple regression analysis was performed to explore factors related to low HRQoL in each dimension. Results: In total, 471 children from 341 households were included. Difficulties isolating at home were associated with low HRQoL in the psychological well-being (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2–4.0) and parent relations and autonomy (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2–3.8) dimensions. Conflicts with dwelling occupants were related to increased ORs in the psychological well-being (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.9–4.6), parent relations and autonomy (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4–3.4) and school environment (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.5–3.7) dimensions. Living in an apartment (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–3.1), never leaving home (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.2–5.9), having indoor noise at home (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2–4.6), and having a parent with high anxiety (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–3.1) were associated with low HRQoL in the social support and peers dimension. Children working less than 1 h/day on schoolwork had an increased OR of 3.5 (95% CI: 1.4–9.0) in the school environment dimension. Conclusion: Living and learning conditions were associated with low HRQoL among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown. Prevention and intervention programs are needed to support youth by facilitating their interactions and improving their coping and to prepare for future waves.

Billions of children/adolescents experienced unprecedented changes in their daily lives that impacted their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019. The purpose of this study was to describe child-parent discrepancies in reporting on HRQoL and explore factors associated with such discrepancies at the end of the first lockdown in France. A cross-sectional study was conducted among French school-aged children from 8 to 18 years and their parents living in the Grand Est region in France during the first wave of the epidemic. The impact of individual, self-reported health status and environmental data on discrepant parent–child reports of HRQoL was assessed by multinomial multivariable logistic regression models. A total of 471 parent–child pairs were included. Among 50% of the discordant pairs, parents underestimated HRQoL more frequently than they overestimated it. Home location, social support score, children’s education level, parents’ education level, tensions and conflicts with neighbors reported by children, whether they had access to a garden, and parents’ professional activity were significantly associated with parental overestimation (_adjustedOR from 2.08 to 11.61; p < 0.05). Factors associated with parental underestimation were children’s education level, SF12 score, home location, the child’s gender, parent’s level of education, the presence of noise in the residence reported by children, whether a household member was infected with COVID-19, whether they had access to a garden, and family structure (_adjustedOR from 1.60 to 4.0; p < 0.05). This study revealed differences between child-reported and parent-reported HRQoL. The COVID-19 pandemic accentuated the discrepancies in observable dimensions and attenuated them in unobservable dimensions of HRQoL but did not impact the directional discrepancy; parents underestimated their child’s HRQoL more. These discrepancies appear to be explained by parent and child sociodemographic factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread social isolation. This study aimed to determine anxiety levels among parents of school-aged children and investigate the associated factors. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, living and working conditions, family relationships, social support (MSPSS) and health status (SF-12) were collected from French parents through an online survey. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was used to assess anxiety. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with moderate to severe anxiety. Among 698 parents, 19.2% experienced moderate to severe anxiety. A low level of resilience (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.7–6.7) and confirmed COVID-19 cases involving hospitalization (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.0–7.3) among individuals in one’s household or in the family circle were found to be the main risk factors for moderate to severe anxiety. Other factors were also identified: a level of education less than high school (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3–3.2), conflicts at home (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.4–3.7), noises outside the home (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0–3.9), confirmed cases not involving hospitalization (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0–3.1) and suspected cases (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.0–3.8). Family support was a protective factor. These findings suggest some need for support programs to help parents cope with public health crises and work-family challenges.