IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i16p5757-d396612.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • Marla Andréia Garcia de Avila

    (Department of Nursing, Botucatu Medical School–UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu 18618-687, Brazil)

  • Pedro Tadao Hamamoto Filho

    (Department of Neurology, Botucatu Medical School–UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu 18618-687, Brazil)

  • Francine Letícia da Silva Jacob

    (Department of Nursing, Botucatu Medical School–UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu 18618-687, Brazil)

  • Léia Regina Souza Alcantara

    (Department of Nursing, Botucatu Medical School–UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu 18618-687, Brazil)

  • Malin Berghammer

    (Institute of Health Sciences, University West, 461 86 Trollhättan, Sweden
    The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, 416 50 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Margaretha Jenholt Nolbris

    (The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, 416 50 Gothenburg, Sweden
    Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Patricia Olaya-Contreras

    (Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Stefan Nilsson

    (Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Marla Andréia Garcia de Avila & Pedro Tadao Hamamoto Filho & Francine Letícia da Silva Jacob & Léia Regina Souza Alcantara & Malin Berghammer & Margaretha Jenholt Nolbris & Patricia Olaya-Contreras & , 2020. "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," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-13, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:16:p:5757-:d:396612
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/16/5757/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/16/5757/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julio Torales & Marcelo O’Higgins & João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia & Antonio Ventriglio, 2020. "The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(4), pages 317-320, June.
    2. Yao Zhang & Haoyu Zhang & Xindong Ma & Qian Di, 2020. "Mental Health Problems during the COVID-19 Pandemics and the Mitigation Effects of Exercise: A Longitudinal Study of College Students in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-16, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hang T. M. Nguyen & Hoang V. Nguyen & Btissame Zouini & Meftaha Senhaji & Kourosh Bador & Zsuzsa Szombathyne Meszaros & Dejan Stevanovic & Nóra Kerekes, 2022. "The COVID-19 Pandemic and Adolescents’ Psychological Distress: A Multinational Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-16, July.
    2. Małgorzata Bronikowska & Jana Krzysztoszek & Marlena Łopatka & Mateusz Ludwiczak & Beata Pluta, 2021. "Comparison of Physical Activity Levels in Youths before and during a Pandemic Lockdown," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-13, May.
    3. Asadullah, M. Niaz & Tham, Eric, 2023. "Learning and happiness during Covid-19 school closure in urban Malaysia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    4. Burak, Durmus, 2023. "Psychometric properties of pandemic awareness scale for students aged 8–12: The case of COVID-19," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    5. Erica Gobbi & Silvio Maltagliati & Philippe Sarrazin & Selenia di Fronso & Alessandra Colangelo & Boris Cheval & Géraldine Escriva-Boulley & Damien Tessier & Giyasettin Demirhan & Gokce Erturan & Yilm, 2020. "Promoting Physical Activity during School Closures Imposed by the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Physical Education Teachers’ Behaviors in France, Italy and Turkey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-15, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ewa Kupcewicz & Marzena Mikla & Helena Kadučáková & Elżbieta Grochans & Maria Dolores Roldán Valcarcel & Anna Maria Cybulska, 2022. "Correlation between Positive Orientation and Control of Anger, Anxiety and Depression in Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Kele Ding & Jingzhen Yang & Ming-Kai Chin & Lindsay Sullivan & J. Larry Durstine & Verónica Violant-Holz & Giyasettin Demirhan & Nara R.C. Oliveira & Biljana Popeska & Garry Kuan & Waheeda Khan & Jian, 2021. "Physical Activity among Adults Residing in 11 Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-16, July.
    3. Junliang He & Longkun Qiu, 2022. "Gender and Age Association with Physical Activity and Mood States of Children and Adolescents in Social Isolation during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-10, November.
    4. Georgie Bruinvels & Richard C. Blagrove & Esther Goldsmith & Laurence Shaw & Daniel Martin & Jessica Piasecki, 2022. "How Lifestyle Changes during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic Affected the Pattern and Symptoms of the Menstrual Cycle," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Julio Torales & Iván Barrios & Osvaldo Melgarejo & Noelia Ruiz Díaz & Marcelo O’Higgins & Rodrigo Navarro & Diego Amarilla & José Almirón-Santacruz & Israel González-Urbieta & Tomás Caycho-Rod, 2024. "Hope, resilience and subjective happiness among general population of Paraguay in the post COVID-19 pandemic," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(3), pages 489-497, May.
    6. Remigiusz Dróżdż & Marcin Pasek & Magdalena Zając & Mirosława Szark-Eckardt, 2022. "Physical Culture and Sports as an Educational Basis of Students’ Healthy Physical Activities during and Post-Lockdown COVID-19 Restrictions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-11, September.
    7. Cudjoe, Dan & Wang, Hong & zhu, Bangzhu, 2022. "Thermochemical treatment of daily COVID-19 single-use facemask waste: Power generation potential and environmental impact analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    8. Hui-Wen Tseng & Ching-Shu Tsai & Yu-Min Chen & Ray C. Hsiao & Fan-Hao Chou & Cheng-Fang Yen, 2021. "Poor Mental Health in Caregivers of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Its Relationships with Caregivers’ Difficulties in Managing the Children’s Behaviors and Worsened Psychol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-16, September.
    9. Silvia Mariela Méndez-Prado & Ariel Flores Ulloa, 2022. "The Impact Analysis of Psychological Issues and Pandemic-Related Variables on Ecuadorian University Students during COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-23, October.
    10. Qin Xiang Ng & Kuan Tsee Chee & Michelle Lee Zhi Qing De Deyn & Zenn Chua, 2020. "Staying connected during the COVID-19 pandemic," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(5), pages 519-520, August.
    11. Becky Leshem & Gabriela Kashy-Rosenbaum & Miriam Schiff & Rami Benbenishty & Ruth Pat-Horenczyk, 2023. "Continuous Exposure to Terrorism during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model in the Israeli Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.
    12. Clemens Koestner & Viktoria Eggert & Theresa Dicks & Kristin Kalo & Carolina Zähme & Pavel Dietz & Stephan Letzel & Till Beutel, 2022. "Psychological Burdens among Teachers in Germany during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—Subgroup Analysis from a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Online Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-16, August.
    13. Francesco Demaria & Stefano Vicari, 2023. "Adolescent Distress: Is There a Vaccine? Social and Cultural Considerations during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-11, January.
    14. Qingyuan Luo & Peng Zhang & Yijia Liu & Xiujie Ma & George Jennings, 2022. "Intervention of Physical Activity for University Students with Anxiety and Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic Prevention and Control Period: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-20, November.
    15. Ankica Kosic & Tamara Džamonja Ignjatović & Nebojša Petrović, 2021. "A Cross-Cultural Study of Distress during COVID-19 Pandemic: Some Protective and Risk Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-15, July.
    16. Li, Jianbiao & Zhang, Yanan & Niu, Xiaofei, 2021. "The COVID-19 pandemic reduces trust behavior," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    17. Mariam Tsaava & Nikoloz Oniani & Marine Eliozishvili & Irine Sakhelashvili & Nino Tkemaladze & Tamar Aladashvili & Tamar Basishvili & Nato Darchia, 2022. "Age-Based Differences in Sleep Quality, Pre-Sleep Arousal, and Psychosocial Factors during the Second Wave Lockdown of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Georgia—A Higher Vulnerability of Younger People," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-13, December.
    18. Lígia Passos & Filipe Prazeres & Andreia Teixeira & Carlos Martins, 2020. "Impact on Mental Health Due to COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal and Brazil," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-13, September.
    19. Jian-Bin Li & An Yang & Kai Dou & Rebecca Y. M. Cheung, 2020. "Self-Control Moderates the Association Between Perceived Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Mental Health Problems Among the Chinese Public," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-10, July.
    20. Annamalai Alagappan & Sampath Kumar Venkatachary & Leo John Baptist & Ravi Samikannu & Jagdish Prasad & Anitha Immaculate, 2020. "A Comparative Study on Corona Virus Pandemic – What do figures indicate?," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 10(4), pages 161-169.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:16:p:5757-:d:396612. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.