Background: Students' sense of school belonging is important for mental health, physical health, and academic performance. However, some students do not feel as though they belong in their schools. This study investigated Greek secondary school students' perspectives on practices that enhanced their sense of belonging during the COVID-19 pandemic.…

Background: We examined whether subgroups of adolescents experienced disparate changes in school connectedness--a robust predictor of multiple health outcomes--from before the COVID-19 pandemic to the first full school year following pandemic onset. Methods: We used 2 waves of prospective survey data from 7178 students attending 41 Canadian…

Objective: Despite widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, millions of Americans have not received the recommended vaccine doses. In the District of Columbia (DC), COVID-19 vaccination rates are lowest among residents who are Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and among school-aged children. We assessed COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among staff and…

Background: In the United States (U.S.), 77% of school district leaders reported that their students had fallen behind in their social-emotional development due to COVID-19 school closures. Although research has measured indicators of social-emotional well-being from the perspective of other informants, little is known about student perceptions of…

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a worldwide socio-sanitary crisis, continuing to impact societies worldwide. With many school systems shifted to online education, the current study presents a unique opportunity to investigate relevant phenomena related to serious health issues during the schooling and later in life, cyberbullying and…

Background: Because previous studies on adolescent COVID-19 attitudes focused on intent to get vaccinated, this study examined attitudinal factors and racial/ethnic differences associated with vaccine uptake. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey of a metropolitan high school district, students were asked about their COVID-19 attitudes, information…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted students' education, mental health, and social well-being. Our research explores the experiences and perceptions of teachers and counselors of the psychological impact of COVID-19 school closures on secondary school students after returning to school. Methods: In this qualitative study, 21…

Background: Adolescents' school engagement, mental health, and substance use have been major concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly given disruptions to school instruction. We examined how the instructional setting was associated with academic and health-related outcomes within an adolescent cohort followed during the pandemic.…

Background: For students with traumatic brain injury (TBI), the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated challenges they were already experiencing at school. Methods: This qualitative study employed focus groups and interviews with students, parents, school, and medical personnel to explore the school experiences of students with TBI. Thematic qualitative…

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the changes in the structure of weekly physical activity (PA) and well-being among adolescent boys and girls between habitual education (HE) and distance education (DE) during the pandemic in secondary schools. Methods: The research was carried out in 12 Czech and 18 Polish schools during 2019 to…

Background: This study examines the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on academic and career concerns of high school students; relationship between attendance and grades with educational concerns; and association between student perception of the pandemic and decision to attend school virtually or in-person. Methods: Diverse students in grades…

Background: Social media is an important communication tool during times of crisis because of its vast reach. Understanding the effectiveness of sharing public health guidance and promoting schoolchildren's physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic can inform dissemination best practices. Methods: We classified 418 posts from parent/community…

Background: Concerns have been raised about the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of adolescents during an important developmental and social period in their lives. This study examines the mental health impact of the pandemic on high school students shortly after closure of public schools in spring 2020, and whether this…