Open AccessPrevalence and correlates of childhood fears in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
Author(s) -
Noha Mohammed,
Valsamma Eapen,
Abdülbari Bener
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
eastern mediterranean health journal/eastern mediterranean health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.442
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1687-1634
pISSN - 1020-3397
DOI - 10.26719/2001.7.3.422
Subject(s) - feeling , distress , adverse childhood experiences , demography , low income , psychology , injury prevention , medicine , occupational safety and health , psychological distress , suicide prevention , poison control , psychiatry , clinical psychology , environmental health , anxiety , social psychology , mental health , sociology , socioeconomics , pathology
The prevalence of fear was explored in 340 adolescents in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates. More than 50% reported feeling extremely frightened of 6 out of 60 fear items surveyed. These items were: someone dying in the family [66.5%], parents getting divorced [65.3%], the devil [63.8%], breaking a religious law [61.5%], being kidnapped [53.2%] and being adopted [49.9%]. The level of fear showed a significant positive correlation with female gender, parental death/divorce, living with a single parent/relatives, living in low income families and an adverse home environment. Nearly half of the children reported that the fear caused considerable distress and interfered with daily activities.