Methods
This is a controlled, cross-sectional, single center study including
7-18 year-old CF children who have been followed up in Selim Çöremen
Cystic Fibrosis Center in Marmara University Faculty of Medicine,
Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and their healthy peers.
Separate behavioral questionnaires for two different age groups (7-12
and 13-18 years), based on the child psychiatry mental health
examination references [18], were formed by Marmara University
Faculty of Medicine Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department.
The questionnaire included questions regarding family environment and
relations, self-care practises and peer relations during lockdown, and
psychological reactions regarding COVID-19 pandemic. Data regarding
presence of a health worker in the family, or a family member diagnosed
with COVID-19, current anxiety level, sleep disturbances, change in
appetite, activities in order to mitigate their anxiety (any attempt to
have a new hobby etc.) and seek for a psychological help were also
collected.
In CF patients, data regarding presence of pancreatic insufficiency,
colonisation of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and level of forced expiratory
volume in second 1 (FEV1) were collected from patients’
medical records. Lung disease was categorised as mild, moderate and
severe according to their baseline FEV1 measurements
(FEV1 70-89 mild lung disease, FEV1 40
to 69% moderate lung disease, FEV1 < 40%
severe lung disease [19].
The data was collected between 30th April, 2020 and 15 th of May, in
Turkey this time period was the peak of pandemic, schools were closed
and education was online. We conducted phone survey by asking questions
directly to the children under parental supervision. Children, younger
than 7 years of age or who refuse to answer the questions or children
with mental problems were excluded from the study. Informed
consent was obtained from all parents following their agreement to
participate the phone survey and the study was approved by the
medical ethics committee of Marmara University (Protocol number
09.2020.549).
Data were analyzed by using the SPSS Statistical Package for Windows
version 23.0. Numerical variables were expressed as mean±standart
deviation or median. Caterogical variables were compared using the
Chi-square test and expressed as numbers and percentages. A p value of
less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.