Abstract
Objective: Pandemics such as COVID 19, cause severe stress for both parents and children due to social constraints, changes in daily routines, and economic challenges, and can lead to long-term developmental and behavioral problems in children. We evaluated the behavioral problems of typically developing healthy children at the end of the second year of the pandemic, as well as the effect of family sociodemographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: This case-control study included 28 children between the ages of 18 to 60 months who admitted to Hacettepe University İhsan Doğramacı Children’s Hospital between January and February 2022 and 23 children from the pre-pandemic period. All of the children scored normally on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) in all developmental domains. The Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) was completed by parents. Results: In terms of family sociodemographic characteristics, no significant difference existed between the two groups. Anxiety-depression scores were significantly higher in the post-pandemic group once CBCL scores were assessed (p=0.047). In the final stepwise multiple regression model, maternal education level was significantly associated with lower anxiety-depression scores (p=0.030). It was revealed that a maternal education level above high school reduced the anxiety-depression scores by 2.53 points in the post-pandemic group. Conclusions: Families, pediatricians, and all other healthcare providers need to closely monitor preschoolers, who are among the groups most vulnerable to the negative effects of the pandemic. Additionally, new policies are required to eliminate health and social inequalities that deepen during the pandemic, especially in middle income and developing countries.
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