The Consequences of COVID-19-Related Anxiety on Children’s Health: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a worldwide health catastrophe. Anxiety caused by COVID-19 has had a negative impact on people's physical and mental health. According to the findings of the research, significant emphasis has been devoted to measures linked to the identification of persons with coronavirus infection, but the identification of the affected individuals' mental health issues has been overlooked. Despite study data indicating an increase in fear and anxiety in patients with coronavirus and others, little research on COVID-19-related cardiac disease has been conducted so far.Methods: This cross-sectional study used a survey method with a chosen self-reported questionnaire for data collection from Mashhad residents. The research sample included 435 households with children aged 5 to 18. The data was analyzed using SPSS software version 25 and comprised two measures, (1) the Coronary Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) and (2) the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) developed by Landgraf and Abets. The findings indicated that COVID-19-related anxiety has a detrimental influence on children's health. According to the data, 19% of the children’s variance showed negative effects on health ( β= -0.625, Sig = 0.001, Adj.R2 = 0.193).Results: The findings revealed a significant difference in children's health mean scores related to forms of insurance coverage, parents' education level, housing status, and COVID-19-associated anxiety. Children's anxiety levels have increased, causing harm to their health and a reduction in their health status.Conclusion: The outcomes of the study will help health professionals and governments establish appropriate protective measures to address this worldwide health problem.