title: Contact behaviour of children and parental employment behaviour during school closures against the pandemic influenza A (H1N1-2009) in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify epidemiological determinants of the contact behaviour of children and their impact on parental employment, during school closures that took place over the course of the 2009 pandemic influenza (H1N1-2009) in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective survey was conducted in Japanese households between October 2009 and May 2010 by administration of a standardized questionnaire. Demographic and behavioural variables were explored, in association with the frequency with which children left the home and the risk of parents being absent from work during school closures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 882 eligible households were analysed. A total of 181/882 (20.5%) of households reported that children left the home for nonessential reasons during school closures. No impact on parental working hours was reported by 742/882 (84.1%) of households. Univariate analyses showed that the frequency with which children left the home was dependent on age, extent of school closure and requirement for special childcare arrangements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A greater understanding of age-dependent behaviours, during school closures as a consequence of a pandemic, is required. Consideration of a public policy to permit a paid leave of absence from work for parents during school closures may be beneficial; the cost-effectiveness of such a measure should be assessed in future.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizumoto
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishiura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D004651:Employment / Q000941:ethics; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000502:physiology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D058873:Pandemics; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: H1N1-2009; Household; contact tracing; containment; epidemiological determinants; epidemiology; influenza; pandemic; school