"What we found was parents felt disempowered to engage in their children's education," said the study's lead author, Adaobi Anakwe, an MU post-doctoral fellow.
Wilson Majee, an associate professor in the MU School of Health Professions, was a co-author.
Columbia Public Schools was online a large part of the 2020-21 school year and most of the last half of the 2019-20 school year. Students are scheduled to return in-person on Aug. 24.
The MU study was conducted in an unnamed rural area in the Midwest.
The peer-reviewed "Sink or Swim: Virtual Life Challenges among African-American Famiiles during COVID-19 Lockdown" was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
The phrase "sink or swim" in the study title was one used by a study participant in describing how she felt, Anakwe said.
"Part of the challenge was fighting over digital resources in the home," Anakwe said. "Many didn't have access to adequate Internet service."
The study also revealed some parents were concerned about their children's mental health.
The coronavirus pandemic revealed an existing digital divide, she said.
"The pandemic exposed some of the disparities that existed and increased it," Anakwe said. "Everyone was forced to migrate over to digital technology."
The study introduction notes that similar disparities exist in all areas of society, including COVID-19 deaths.
"African Americans continue to be disproportionately affected by underlying root causes such as structural racism and economic inequalities which contribute to gaps in health insurance coverage, uneven access to services (schools, housing, transportation, healthy food, green spaces, recreational facilities, etc.)," the study introduction states.
"Over time, these social determinants of health have resulted in higher rates of chronic medical conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease — all of which are risk factors for severe illness from COVID-19 among African Americans."
This study didn't examine the educational outcomes of the students, but it's something that future studies should research, Anakwe said.
"This is really to have a feel of what parents were going through when going rapidly online," Anakwe said. "Future research should look at the educational outcomes that we see and disparities across racial groups."
Society may or may not face pandemic lockdowns that require online education, but people will rely more and more on digital technology in the future, Anakwe said.
Eleven families were interviewed for the study. Although a small sample, the study highlighted what families need in terms of resources, Anakwe said. A majority of the participants were single mothers.
"(The study) suggests that the U.S. needs to aggressively address the Black/White digital divide, especially to ensure equitable access to academic resources and opportunities for African American communities," the conclusion states. "In a rapidly digitalizing world, reduced access to these resources can have irreversible long-term consequences for academic, social, and health outcomes."
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