LAUSR

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the anxiety of parents on the anxiety level of their 9- to12-year-old children staying in hospital. METHODS: The research was a descriptive study comprising 162 parents and 162 children between 9 and 12 years of age who were admitted to the ear-nose-throat and pediatric surgery services of a training and research hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. The Child and Parent Diagnostic Form, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were used as data collection tools. The data collection lasted about 15–20 minutes. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation of 70.9% was found between the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and the Beck Anxiety Inventory for parents (r= 0.709; p=.001). Regression analysis revealed that the Beck Anxiety Inventory score for parents had a significant effect on the model. The Beck Anxiety Inventory score affected the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score of 39.2% for children (R2=0.392). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Anxiety of parents participating in the study directly affected the level of anxiety of their children. To improve this situation, pediatric nurses should identify the factors that may cause anxiety in parents and children and minimize the factors that may cause any anxiety