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Preadolescent Anxiety: An Epidemiological Study Concerning an Italian Sample of 3,479 Nine-Year-Old Pupils

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Abstract

The epidemiology of anxiety traits was examined in a large sample of Italian preadolescent children, and 3,479 Italian nine-year-old subjects were enrolled. Anxious traits were observed in 10.5% of children. No significant gender differences were found, but children of separated couples presented a relative risk for anxious traits that was 50% higher, than children of cohabiting or married parents. Moreover, large families (more than 4 members) with a stay-at-home mother were also associated with anxiety in the offspring. Currently, this is the first study carried out in a large sample of preadolescent children, all of the same age.

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Acknowledgments

The research was conducted with the cooperation of our colleagues at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic of Brescia, Messina, Monza, Napoli, Roma and Varese, and we wish to express our particular thanks to all of them.

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Correspondence to Renata Nacinovich.

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Nacinovich, R., Gadda, S., Maserati, E. et al. Preadolescent Anxiety: An Epidemiological Study Concerning an Italian Sample of 3,479 Nine-Year-Old Pupils. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 43, 27–34 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-011-0247-0

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