Families`worries During the First and Second COVID-19 Wave in Germany: Comparative Longitudinal Study in Two Populational Childhood Cohorts

Background: The present study aimed to compare worries related to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in families with young children in two regions in Germany differently affected by the pandemic (Regensburg in Southeast Germany, Leipzig in Eastern Germany) during the first and the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemicMethods720 parents participating in the KUNO Kids health study in Regensburg (n = 507) or the LIFE Child study in Leipzig (n = 213) answered questions regarding COVID-19-related worries and trust in anti-pandemic policy measures at two time points, during the first wave (spring 2020) and during the second wave (winter 2020/2021) of the pandemic. Ordinal mixed-effects models were performed to assess differences depending on region (Regensburg versus Leipzig) and time (first versus second wave), adjusting for education and migration background. ResultsParticipants worried most about the general economic situation and their family and least about their own health or financial situation. Most COVID-19-related worries were stronger during the second than during the first wave. In regional comparisons, worries about family, friends, and hometown increased more pronouncedly from wave 1 to wave 2 in Leipzig than in Regensburg, paralleling the increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections. Trust in anti-pandemic policy measures, in contrast, decreased significantly between wave 1 and wave 2, with a stronger decrease in Regensburg. ConclusionsThe degree of families’ COVID-19-related worries differs by region and time, which might be related to differences in infection rates and public interest.