Food insecurity and adverse social conditions tied to increased risk of Long COVID in children
New research from RECOVER’s pediatric study, which included 4,584 participants from across the US, reviewed 24 social risk factors to understand their impact on a child’s Long COVID risk.
RECOVER researchers, led by investigators at Mass General Brigham, continued the initiative’s work to examine how social risk factors—or conditions in a person’s daily life—affect risk for developing Long COVID. Prior research—including a 2025 RECOVER study—has either been conducted in adults or focused on how social risk factors can impact the risk of having COVID.
In a study published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers analyzed data from over 4,500 school-aged children and adolescents (aged 6-17) with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection (the virus that causes COVID-19). Study participants, all of whom are taking part in RECOVER’s pediatric observational study, were recruited at 52 different study sites.
The study’s findings suggest that Long COVID is more prevalent in school-aged children and adolescents who experience economic instability and adverse social conditions. Researchers found that the risk of developing Long COVID was more than 2 times higher for children in households that faced food insecurity and challenges such as low social support and high levels of discrimination.
Read the press release from Mass General Brigham.