Family and teachers lead the way: How different information sources about COVID-19 influenced children's well-being during the pandemic.

Objective: The study evaluates how children's information needs about COVID-19 during the pandemic were met through various channels, including family, peers, teachers, social media, and news outlets. By examining differences across countries, the research aims to be informative for public health practitioners involved in managing and delivering public health services during an emergency. Study design: Utilizing data from the International Survey of Children's Well-Being (ISCWeB), the study analyzes responses from 25,184 children in urban schools across 22 countries. It explores the impact of different information sources on children's well-being. Methods: Separately for each country and at the individual level of analysis, the study regresses variables related to COVID-19 information sources, support structures, information processing, demographics, online access, and first-hand pandemic experiences on children's subjective well-being. A structural interaction matrix assesses the combined effects of the information sources, while elastic net regression is employed to enhance interpretability and contain multicollinearity issues. Results: The impact of various information sources on children's well-being varied significantly by country. Family and teachers were identified as the most positively influential sources across countries, while the effects of peers, social media, and news were more mixed. Conclusion: The findings offer actionable insights for public health practitioners, underscoring the importance of choosing appropriate channels for delivering information to children based on their cultural contexts. Family and teachers are identified as key influencers across different countries.