Evaluation of COVID-19 Anxiety and Phobia Levels of the Parents of Pediatric Patients Undergoing Surgery

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) anxiety , the phobia levels of the parents of pediatric patients who were scheduled to undergo surgery under general anesthesia in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic , to examine the factors affecting these. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The participants were asked to complete a socio-demographic data form, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), and the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S). The effects on depression, anxiety, and health anxiety levels of factors such as the socio-demographic characteristics of the children and parents, and the supplementary data of the parents regarding the child's illness were then investigated.RESULTS: In terms of CAS and C19P-S cut-off points, 4.7% (n=7) of the parents scored above the anxiety cut-off point and 17.4% (n=26) scored above the phobia cut-off point. Both CAS and C19P-S scores were higher for female parents, non-working parents, and those with higher education levels compared with male parents, employed parents, and those with lower education levels.CONCLUSION: The results of this prospective, cross-sectional, observational study suggest that being female, non-working, and a having high level of education were risk factors for anxiety and phobia in the parents of pediatric patients related to COVID-19.