Children’s anxiety and factors related to the covid-19 pandemic: An exploratory study using the children’s anxiety questionnaire and the numerical rating scale

• Autor(a) principal: de Avila, Marla Andréia Garcia [UNESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Filho, Pedro Tadao Hamamoto [UNESP], da Silva Jacob, Francine Letícia [UNESP], Alcantara, Léia Regina Souza [UNESP], Berghammer, Malin, Nolbris, Margaretha Jenholt, Olaya-Contreras, Patricia, Nilsson, Stefan
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165757; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/200901
• topic: Anxiety; Children; Covid-19; Pandemic; Social isolation

The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s lives deserve attention. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety among Brazilian children and its associated factors during social distancing during COVID-19. We used a cross-sectional design with an online survey from April to May 2020 in Brazil. We included children aged 6–12 years and their guardians. The Children’s Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ; scores 4–12) and the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS; scores 0–10) were used to measure anxiety. We enrolled 157 girls and 132 boys, with a mean age of 8.84 (±2.05) years; 88.9% of respondents were mothers. Based on CAQ ≥ 9, the prevalence of anxiety was 19.4% (n = 56), and higher among children with parents with essential jobs and those who were social distancing without parents. In logistic regression, the following variables were associated with higher CAQ scores: social distancing without parents; more persons living together in home; and education level of guardians. Based on NRS > 7, the prevalence of anxiety was 21.8% (n = 63); however, no associations with NRS scores were found with the investigated variables. These findings suggest the necessity of implementing public health actions targeting these parents and their children at the population level.