Table 1 Demographic characteristics by anxiety score (GAD-7 ≥ 8) and children emotional SDQ score (SDQ ≥ 5) (N = 1469)

Sex

Female

1216

82.8

51.7 (629)

10.16

0.001^*

16.2 (154)

2.83

0.093

Male

253

17.2

40.7 (103)

11.5 (24)

Relationship to child/ren

Parent

893

60.8

48.2 (430)

4.24

0.120

14.6 (130)

25.6

< 0.001^*

Teacher only

106

7.2

44.3 (47)

4.7 (5)

Parent & teacher

161

11.0

55.9 (90)

26.7 (43)

No children

299

20.4

54.2 (162)

0

Age

18–24

169

11.5

59.8 (101)

22.27

< 0.001^*

8.7 (2)

3.44

0.329

25–44

907

61.7

51.0 (463)

14.7 (115)

45–64

381

25.9

43.6 (166)

17.4 (61)

65+

12

0.8

16.7 (2)

0

Education

Primary

11

0.7

36.4 (4)

3.14

0.534

11.1 (1)

1.76

0.779

Lower secondary

10

0.7

30.0 (3)

25.0 (2)

Higher secondary

137

9.3

53.3 (73)

18.2 (18)

Bachelor degree

746

50.8

50.1 (374)

14.4 (79)

Post-graduate

565

38.5

49.2 (278)

15.8 (78)

Country of Residence

Outside the UAE

400

27.2

49.0 (196)

0.15

0.697

15.6 (51)

0.02

0.882

Inside the UAE

1069

72.8

50.1 (536)

15.2 (127)

Employment

Employed

927

63.1

48.8 (452)

2.00

0.372

15.6 (122)

1.08

0.583

Not employed

319

21.7

53.3 (170)

12.9 (22)

Home duties

223

15.2

49.3 (110)

16.6 (34)

Monthly Salary

Other

192

13.1

46.4 (89)

5.19

0.393

15.2 (25)

9.90

0.079

less than 5000

161

11.0

55.9 (90)

12.4 (13)

5000-9999

163

11.1

54.0 (88)

20.2 (23)

10,000-19,999

282

19.2

48.9 (138)

15.8 (35)

20,000-39,000

413

28.1

49.6 (205)

18.1 (60)

40,000+

258

17.6

47.3 (122)

9.9 (22)

Insurance

Other

21

1.4

47.6 (10)

0.634

0.729

15.4 (2)

4.13

0.126

No

226

15.4

52.2 (118)

10.1 (17)

Yes

1222

83.2

49.4 (604)

16.2 (159)

Marital Status

Single

287

19.5

55.7 (160)

7.27

0.064

4.2 (3)

11.9

0.008^*

Married

1094

74.5

47.8 (523)

15.5 (157)

Divorced/ Separated

72

4.9

56.9 (41)

25.4 (16)

Widowed

16

1.1

50.0 (8)

14.3 (2)

Do you have children?

Yes

1111

75.6

49.1 (545)

1.10

0.296

No

358

24.4

52.2 (187)

Number of children

1–2 children

517

35.2

49.7 (257)

4.85

0.089

16.6(80)

0.070

0.966

3–4 children

473

32.2

50.5 (239)

16.0(73)

4+ children

119

8.1

39.5 (47)

16.5(19)

Age category of children

Infants and Toddlers

269

18.3

52.4 (141)

0.88

0.348

16.2 (154)

0.167

0.683

Preschoolers

325

22.1

53.8 (175)

2.69

0.101

11.5 (24)

0.085

0.770

School Age

713

48.5

50.5 (360)

0.24

0.623

14.6 (130)

5.93

0.015^*

Adolescents

432

29.4

48.6 (210)

0.36

0.547

17.5 (121)

8.83

0.003^*

Young Adults

254

17.3

42.5 (108)

6.56

0.010^*

19.6 (81)

1.53

0.216

Children attending school

Children don’t go to school

183

12.5

55.7 (102)

2.92

0.088

13.6(22)

0.45

0.502

Childcare

205

14.0

50.2 (103)

0.01

0.898

16.4 (32)

0.20

0.651

Primary

668

45.5

52.4 (350)

3.23

0.073

16.8 (109)

2.39

0.123

Lower secondary

400

27.2

49 (196)

0.15

0.697

21.4 (82)

16.2

< 0.001^*

Higher Secondary

320

21.8

45.6 (146)

2.89

0.089

20.5 (63)

8.61

0.003^*

University

258

17.6

42.6 (110)

6.48

0.011^*

17.4 (40)

0.92

0.336

Likely to vaccinate self

No

383

26.1

41.3 (158)

20.05

< 0.001^*

Yes

1050

71.5

53.2 (559)

Likely to vaccinate children

No

314

21.4

41.7 (131)

20.71

0.001^*

Yes

872

59.4

52.4 (457)

Do you have any of the following medical Conditions (Yes)

Diabetes

75

5.1

53.3 (40)

0.39

0.533

Heart Problems

36

2.5

58.3 (21)

1.07

0.301

High Blood Pressure

133

9.1

51.9 (69)

0.25

0.620

Dyslipidemia

45

3.1

48.9 (22)

0.89

0.898

Asthma

127

8.6

62.2 (79)

8.52

0.004^*

Respiratory problems

47

3.2

53.2 (25)

0.64

0.639

Cancer

9

0.6

44.4 (4)

0.75

0.746

Other medical conditions

128

8.7

50.8 (65)

0.82

0.822

Have you experienced any of the following symptoms (Yes)

Headaches

381

25.9

56.7 (216)

9.69

0.002^*

Fever

105

7.1

56.2 (59)

1.83

0.176

Cough

235

16.0

51.1 (120)

0.17

0.680

Difficulty breathing

37

2.5

51.4 (19)

0.03

0.851

Sore throat

256

17.4

59.8 (153)

12.2

< 0.001^*

Myalgia

49

3.3

59.2 (29)

1.77

0.183

Dizziness

73

5.0

63 (46)

5.34

0.021^*

Runny nose

225

15.3

53.8 (121)

1.66

0.198

Diarrhea

100

6.8

50 (50)

0.001

0.972

Other Symptoms

18

1.2

50 (9)

< 0.001

0.988

What measures have you taken to treat your symptoms

Vitamin C

720

49.0

53.5 (385)

7.49

0.006^*

Flu medications

92

6.3

53.3 (49)

0.46

0.497

Anti-inflammatory drugs

139

9.5

62.6 (87)

1.00

0.002^*

Analgesics anti-pyretic

345

23.5

58.6 (202)

13.7

< 0.001^*

Oral Steroids

17

1.2

58.8 (10)

0.55

0.456

Herbal remedies

443

30.2

51.2 (227)

0.51

0.477

My child/ren are up to date with their vaccines

No

81

5.5

45.7 (37)

1.49

0.476

Yes

1029

70.0

49.5 (509)

I don’t have children

334

22.7

52.4 (175)

Smoking

No

1196

81.4

47.3 (566)

19.01

< 0.001^*

Yes

195

13.3

62.1 (121)

I used to smoke but quit

53

3.6

64.2 (34)

Smoke type

Cigarettes

111

7.6

58.6 (65)

3.66

0.056

Shisha

83

5.7

65.1 (54)

8.16

0.004^*

Midwakh

8

0.5

50 (4)

0.01

0.992

Vaping

22

1.5

59.1 (13)

0.76

0.381

Smoking changed During COVID-19

Yes

201

13.7

58.7 (118)

7.73

0.005^*

No

1228

83.6

48.1 (591)

Changes made to smoking

Stopped/Decreased

73

5

54.4 (49)

2.80

0.422

Started/Increased

18

1.2

14.7 (13)

Anxiety (GAD-7) levels

Minimal

447

30.4

–

3.9 (14)

122.19

< 0.001^*

Mild

465

32.7

–

9.6 (35)

Moderate

296

20.2

–

24.5 (58)

Severe

261

17.8

–

35.3 (71)

Difficulty getting things done

Not difficult at all

450

30.6

16.2(73)

392.41

< 0.001^*

4.5 (16)

738.01

< 0.001^*

Somewhat

747

50.9

55.3(413)

14.6 (87)

Very

186

12.7

88.7(165)

36.2 (55)

Extremely

86

5.9

94.2(81)

35.7 (20)

Anxiety GAD class(≥8)

Mild-Minimal

737

50.2

–

25.4(144)

86.20

< 0.001^*

High

732

49.8

–

5.7 (34)

SDQ class (≥5)

Normal

982

84.7

43.1(423)

86.3

< 0.001^*

Abnormal

178

15.3

80.9(144)