| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2023 | Volume
: 11
| Issue : 1 | Page : 17-22 |
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Assessment of parents' perception regarding electronic device use among children following COVID-19 lockdown in the field practice area of Urban Health Center of a Medical College in Anantapuramu
V Kumari Krishna1, Mathi Babu Kishore2, B Pradeep2, ML Sowmithri3
1 Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, Mahavir Institute of Medical Sciences, Vikarabad, Telangana, India
3 Department of Community Medicine, MNR Medical College and Hospital, Sangareddy, Telangana, India
Correspondence Address:
M L Sowmithri
Department of Community Medicine, MNR Medical College and Hospital, MNR Nagar, Fasalwadi, Narsapur Road, Sangareddy - 502 294, Telangana
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/mjhs.mjhs_23_22
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Background: The outcome of eLearning is being studied comprehensively. Parents' perception toward e-devices is the financial burden during the lockdown and the outcome of education by remote learning. Receptive adaptation had to be made with inexperience. The new indefinite pandemic had psychological, social, emotional, and financial stress on parents as education of the child is always a priority.
Introduction: Lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic introduced a concept of eLearning as schools were shut. This increases access to electronic devices and Internet among the children.
Objective: The objective of this study was to assess parents' perception regarding electronic device use among children following the COVID-19 lockdown.
Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study conducted in the field practice area of Urban Health Centre of a Medical College in Anantapur. The calculated sample size was 178 and the sampling method was convenience sampling. People living in the study area having at least one child of attending school were the study population. Required ethical clearance and individual informed consent was taken. Data were collected using a predesigned, prevalidated, and self-administered questionnaire. It had two scales 10-itemed “perceived demerits of eLearning by parents” and 4-itemed “perceived merits of eLearning by parents.” Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests.
Results: Out of the total 180 participants, 154 (85.6%) were stressed about the extra cost imposed to facilitate online classes. Perceived demerits of eLearning by parent's scale had a median score of 8 out of 10. However, 167 (92.8%) agreed that eLearning was the only viable option for schooling during the lockdown.
Conclusion: Most of the parents in the study agree with the benefits of eLearning; however, they are aware and weary of its ill effects and stressed due to added costs related to it.
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