About 70% of Parents and Children Experience Poor Health Due to New Lifestyles and Environmental Changes Such as Starting Kindergarten/School, Yet Spring/Summer Preventative Measures Are Less Than Half of Winter's, Revealing a Lack of Preparedness

During periods of seasonal change and environmental shifts, both parents and children are susceptible to falling ill, necessitating health management. Furthermore, while some individuals recover quickly from infectious diseases, others experience prolonged symptoms or recurrent infections, indicating varying degrees of severity when afflicted. In response, e-Cuore Co., Ltd. conducted a "Survey on Awareness and Actual Conditions Regarding Poor Health and Immune Balance in Spring/Summer" targeting 931 individuals nationwide. The survey also investigated and analyzed influenza infection status and preventative measures from last winter, aiming to clarify how daily preventative actions influence symptoms during infection.

■ Survey Result Topics

* Three out of four parents and children experienced poor health during periods of changing living environments, such as the new academic year.
* When children fall ill, approximately 90% of parents feel burdened due to reasons such as "needing to adjust work or tasks," "requiring time and effort for nursing and attendance," and "preventing household spread," yet the number of people taking infectious disease measures in spring/summer is less than half that in winter, revealing a significant disparity.
* Approximately 70% of parental infectious disease cases (influenza infections) originated from children, indicating high rates of household transmission.
* Those in the early recovery group broadly practice daily health management, including handwashing, sleep, and diet, compared to the severe group, suggesting the importance of routine health management.

■ Survey Overview

* **Survey Method:** Internet survey
* **Survey Period:** April 7 (Tuesday) to April 10 (Friday), 2026
* **Target Audience:** 931 married men and women aged 20-49 nationwide with children (youngest child aged 0-12) who contracted influenza between November 2025 and February 2026.
* **Valid Responses:** 931 samples
* *Assigned based on influenza symptoms:*
* *If applicable to both, assigned to "Severe/Prolonged Group".*

■ Detailed Survey Results

◇ Approximately three out of four parents in the child-rearing generation experienced poor health during periods of environmental change, such as new life stages.

It is said that during times of significant environmental change, such as starting kindergarten/school or a new life, people are prone to falling ill. When asked about their experiences with poor health during such environmental changes, the total for "frequently" and "occasionally" was 73.0% for parents themselves and 76.6% for children, revealing that approximately three out of four parents and children experienced poor health.

These results suggest that periods of new life and environmental changes are times when the child-rearing generation is susceptible to illness.

◇ When children are unwell, approximately 90% of parents feel burdened. Work, nursing, and household infections are major concerns.

When asked about the burden parents feel when their children are unwell, the total for "very difficult" and "somewhat difficult" was 88.1%, indicating that approximately 90% of parents feel burdened.

When asked about the nature of the burden through free responses, the following were among the top concerns:

* **"Need to take time off work or adjust tasks."**
* "It's tough having to take time off work and juggle childcare while transferring tasks." (28-year-old female)
* "Since it was a weekday, coordinating with my wife's work and ours to see who would take time off was difficult." (41-year-old male)

* **"Time and effort required for nursing and attendance."**
* "My child is still small and can't communicate their symptoms, so judging their condition while watching them was very difficult." (27-year-old female)
* "I was also feeling unwell, so nursing my child while I was sick was difficult." (35-year-old female)

* **"Difficult to prevent family infection from spreading/spreading."**
* "When one child gets it, the other child gets it with a time lag. I also get sick, but I can't rest because I have to look after the children." (30-year-old female)
* "It was difficult to isolate them to prevent infection from spreading to other family members." (43-year-old female)

These results suggest that when children are unwell, the burden extends across all aspects of daily life.

Figure 3 shows the aggregated results after coding the free responses, with responses related to "needing to take time off work or adjust tasks" being the most common, significantly surpassing other items.

◇ Infection control measures concentrate in winter, significantly declining in spring/summer. The gap with new life stages becomes clear.

When asked about the timing of awareness and implementation of infectious disease measures, "winter" was the highest, with 60.4% awareness and 51.9% implementation. In contrast, "spring" showed only about half of winter's figures, with 25.7% awareness and 22.0% implementation, and "summer" results were even lower.

Despite new life stages making people susceptible to illness, infectious disease measures are concentrated in winter and become sparse from spring onwards, revealing the actual situation.

◇ Approximately three out of four people who contracted influenza this winter were infected by their children.

Next, regarding the trigger for influenza infection between November 2025 and February 2026, "from children" was the highest at 72.5%, indicating that approximately 70% were infected via their children.