Health anxiety symptoms in Danish children during the COVID-19 pandemic: An Odense Child Cohort study

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research 2022-06, Vol.157, p.110860-110860, Article 110860
• Main Authors: Hulgaard, D., Nissen, J., Bilenberg, N., Rask, C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; Children; Children & youth; Cohort analysis; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Health problems; Internalization; Internalizing disorders; Pandemics; Parents & parenting; Psychological well being; Public health; Questionnaires; Response rates; Risk factors; Symptoms
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.110860

Objective Concerns about the possible negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological wellbeing of children are increasing. Especially worries about health and illness may be exacerbated. Two investigations of health anxiety symptoms (HAS) in Danish children performed in 2020 and in 2021 respectively, are presented, aiming to explore 1) the level of HAS, 2) associations with potential risk factors, e.g.: parental HAS and child internalizing symptoms, and 3) the trajectories of HAS over time. Methods Among the current Odense child cohort (OCC) population of 2430 children, 994 participated in the 2020 study (response rate 40%) and 567 participated in the 2021 study (response rate 25.5%). Children and their parents filled out questionnaires about child HAS and covariates. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated between high score child HAS (≥90th percentile in the 2020 population) and covariates, by use of logistic regression. The HAS scores of children participating in both the 2020 and 2021 questionnaires were divided into four trajectory groups. Results High score child HAS was found 14.5% of the 2021 population. Associations were found between high score HAS and parental HAS (2020), with internalizing problems at age 5 (2020 and 2021) and with internalizing problems at age 3 (2021). A low – low trajectory, indicating few HAS during the pandemic, was found in 82% of participating children. Conclusions Findings suggest the presence of vulnerable families with anxious children and/or parents, where children are at increased risk of developing HAS during a global health threat.