PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF ANXIETY IN CHILDREN IN NORTH MACEDONIA
Keywords:
anxiety, children, prevalence, risk factors, North MacedoniaAbstract
Anxiety disorders are considered the most prevalent and pervasive mental health problems in children globally. The development of preventive strategies requires information on prevalence rates and identification of risk factors. However, such data is not available for North Macedonia. The current study aims to fill the research gaps by estimating prevalence rates, and applying the ecological risk model in examining risk factors of anxiety in preschool and school-aged children in North Macedonia.
Data was taken from a pre-post study testing the effectiveness of a parenting program in young children in North Macedonia. A total of 288 parents of children aged 2-9 years were included. Cutoff scores were used to estimate prevalence rates, and generalized linear models were used to analyze baseline data on the influence of individual, family and social risk factors on childhood anxiety.
Data showed that more than 6% of preschool-aged children, and more than 11% of school-aged children were affected by clinically significant levels of anxiety. The study also showed that dysfunctional parenting practices were a strong predictor of anxiety in preschool-aged children, while parental depression and anxiety were the strongest predictors in school-aged children.
The current study offered first insights into prevalence rates, and highlighted the existence of unique contributions of family-related risk factors that affect different presentations of anxiety in young children in North Macedonia. The findings may contribute to an improved understanding of the complex processes involved in the development of anxiety, and may offer directions for evidence-based interventions.
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