ArticleMedical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)2026
Early Childhood Anxiety and Maternal Factors: Associations with State and Trait Anxiety in a Greek Cohort of Preschoolers.
Article in Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectiveAnxiety symptoms in preschool children represent early indicators of potential mental health vulnerabilities. Maternal psychological, sociodemographic, lifestyle and dietary factors may be associated with child emotional development; however, evidence regarding their independent contributions to distinct dimensions of child anxiety (trait vs. state) remains limited. This study aimed to examine maternal factors associated with preschool children's trait and state anxiety.
methodsIn this cross-sectional study conducted in Greece, 200 preschool-aged children and their mothers were assessed. Maternal demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric, lifestyle, dietary, and psychosocial characteristics were evaluated using validated instruments, including the Mediterranean Diet Score (MedDietScore), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory short form (STAI-6). Children's trait and state anxiety were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-CH). Bivariate analyses were conducted, followed by separate multivariable linear regression models for trait and state anxiety, with covariate selection guided by a directed acyclic graph (DAG).
resultsMaternal anxiety was positively associated with children's state anxiety (B = 1.508, SE = 0.566, β = 0.196, t = 2.666,
conclusionsMaternal psychological distress was modestly associated with preschool children's state and trait anxiety, exhibiting differential patterns across anxiety dimensions. These findings should be interpreted as correlational, with unmeasured contributors such as paternal mental health, family functioning, genetics, and school/peer influences likely playing important roles. Early screening and interventions addressing maternal mental health may support children's emotional well-being, but further multi-informant and longitudinal research is needed to clarify temporal and causal pathways.
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