“Return to Play”: The Impact of, and Changes to, Ontario Children’s Physical Activity During COVID-19

This dissertation explored parents’ and their children’s perspectives of returning to play/sport during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada, and assessed how children’s physical activity levels changed during COVID-19. To understand the initial impact of the pandemic, Study 1 (August 2020) explored the influence of family sociodemographic factors (e.g., housing type) and risk tolerance (using the validated Tolerance of Risk in Play Scale) on parents’ return to play/sport attitudes. Via interviews with parents (n = 9) and children (n = 12), Study 2 (December 2020 – January 2021) gathered participants’ experiences of getting active during COVID-19. In Study 3, parent-reported data collected from both baseline and follow-up surveys (August 2021) were examined to understand the impact of the pandemic on children’s physical activity.In Study 1, it was found that parents’ attitudes concerning their children’s return to play/sport varied by socialization, support, and safety-related attitudes; however, attitudes were most positive towards safety-related items. Specifically, parents reported that having their children at home with them during COVID-19 made them feel safe (M = 3.86, SD = 1.11). Qualitative data revealed that parents had mixed levels of comfort about their children’s return to play/sport. Parental risk tolerance did not influence attitudes.In Study 2, children reported missing important people (e.g., coaches) as the main reason for wanting to return to play/sport, and children who had returned reported having no concerns with following COVID-19 protocols. Parents and children noted declines in children’s activity levels during COVID-19; however, they referenced getting active outdoors and virtual opportunities (e.g., YouTube) as common facilitators.Results from Study 3 revealed decreases in the proportion of children achieving 60 minutes of physical activity/day during periods of lockdown (i.e., pre-lockdown: before March 2020; during lockdown: March 2020 – June 2020; January 2021 – May 2021; and post-lockdown: August – December 2021). Generalized linear mixed-effects models revealed that the proportion of children achieving 60 minutes of physical activity/day pre-lockdown (63%) declined during lockdown (21%) and then increased post-lockdown (54%). Several demographic variables (e.g., household income) moderated results suggesting family-level factors may have influenced children’s activity during COVID-19. In conclusion, findings from this study reveal the impact of COVID-19 on children’s play/sport and provide realistic strategies families can implement to increase activity during a pandemic.