TOKYO -- Children who are often asked how they are feeling or what their opinions are by adults tend to have a higher quality of living even under adverse circumstances, according to a survey conducted by Japan's National Center for Child Health and Development.

The latest finding suggests that accepting children in a positive manner affects their mental and physical health.

The survey was conducted by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020 by sending the questionnaires to 1,500 households with fifth graders and second-year junior high school students. It asked whether children felt their thoughts about changes in daily life due to the pandemic were being heard by those around them.

According to the results, 52.9% of children reported that their thoughts and feelings were either "often" or "always" listened to and considered by both their parents and teachers. However, 24.6% of children responded that they were not listened to by either group of the adults.

The survey found that the proportion of children with above-median quality of life was about five times higher among those who said their voices were being heard compared to those who felt they weren't.

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child that recognizes children's rights stipulates that "Children have the right to give their opinions freely on issues that affect them. Adults should listen and take children seriously."

Dr. Arisa Yamaguchi from the Department of Social Medicine at the National Center for Child Health and Development, who led the study, stated, "It's important for children to feel that various types of people are listening to them in their daily lives. I hope more people will understand the significance of listening carefully to children's voices."

(Japanese original by Natsumi Hara, Tokyo City News Department)