Maternal State Anxiety During Child Hospitalization and Its Sociodemographic Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iraq

Objective: This study assessed maternal state anxiety during child hospitalization and examined its associations with sociodemographic and economic characteristics in Basra, Iraq.

Methods and Materials: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2025 to January 2026 across three teaching hospitals in Basra. A convenience sample of 670 mothers of hospitalized children completed face-to-face interviews using a demographic questionnaire and a 20-item, three-point state anxiety scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.

Findings: The mean anxiety score was 49.7 ± 7.8 (range: 20–60). High anxiety was reported in 462 mothers (69%), moderate anxiety in 181 (27%), and low anxiety in 27 (4%). Anxiety differed significantly across educational levels (p = .011) and economic categories (p = .019). Illiterate mothers reported higher anxiety scores than college-educated mothers (53.7 vs. 47.6), while economically disadvantaged mothers reported higher scores than financially secure mothers (53.6 vs. 47.2). In multiple regression, education (β = −.24, p = .001) and poorer economic status (β = .22, p = .001) remained significant correlates. Age, occupation, residence, and number of children were not significantly associated with anxiety (all p > .05).

Conclusion: Elevated anxiety scores were common among mothers of hospitalized children. Educational disadvantage and poorer economic circumstances were associated with greater anxiety, supporting attention to psychosocial needs during pediatric hospitalization.