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COVID-19-related future anxiety is associated with the health-related quality of life in school-aged children and adolescents—A cross-sectional study
- Background Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, previous studies have shown that the physical as well as the mental health of children and adolescents significantly deteriorated. Future anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its associations with quality of life has not previously been examined in school children. Methods As part of a cross-sectional web-based survey at schools in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, two years after the outbreak of the pandemic, school children were asked about COVID-19-related future anxiety using the German epidemic-related Dark Future Scale for children (eDFS-K). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using the self-reported KIDSCREEN-10. The eDFS-K was psychometrically analyzed (internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis) and thereafter examined as a predictor of HRQoL in a general linear regression model. Results A total of N = 840 8–18-year-old children and adolescents were included in the analysis. The eDFS-K demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.77), and the confirmatory factor analysis further supported the one-factor structure of the four-item scale with an acceptable model fit. Over 43% of students were found to have low HRQoL. In addition, 47% of the students sometimes to often reported COVID-19-related fears about the future. Children with COVID-19-related future anxiety had significantly lower HRQoL (B = – 0.94, p < 0.001). Other predictors of lower HRQoL were older age (B = – 0.63, p < 0.001), and female (B = – 3.12, p < 0.001) and diverse (B = – 6.82, p < 0.001) gender. Conclusion Two years after the outbreak of the pandemic, school-aged children continue to exhibit low HRQoL, which is further exacerbated in the presence of COVID-19-related future anxiety. Intervention programs with an increased focus on mental health also addressing future anxiety should be provided.
Author: | Anika Kästner, Petra Lücker, Arne Hannich, Lena Schmeyers, Janny Lücker, Wolfgang HoffmannORCiD |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:gbv:9-opus-77189 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1003876 |
ISSN: | 2296-2565 |
Parent Title (English): | Frontiers in Public Health |
Publisher: | Frontiers Media S.A. |
Place of publication: | Lausanne |
Document Type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first Publication: | 2022/11/09 |
Release Date: | 2022/11/29 |
Tag: | COVID-19-related future anxiety; Dark Future Scale for children; KIDSCREEN-10; health-related quality of life (HRQL); mental health; school children |
GND Keyword: | - |
Volume: | 10 |
Article Number: | 1003876 |
Page Number: | 13 |
Faculties: | Universitätsmedizin / Institut für Community Medicine |
Collections: | Artikel aus DFG-gefördertem Publikationsfonds |
Licence (German): | Creative Commons - Namensnennung |