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

The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on children&rsquo
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&ndash
12 years and their guardians. The Children&rsquo
s Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ
scores 4&ndash
12) and the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS
scores 0&ndash
10) were used to measure anxiety. We enrolled 157 girls and 132 boys, with a mean age of 8.84 (&plusmn
2.05) years
88.9% of respondents were mothers. Based on CAQ &ge
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 &gt
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.